New Delhi: An competitive comeback for Mohammed Shami might be on the cards as the star India pacer has been named in the expanded list of 50 Bengal probables for the upcoming domestic season. Shame, who has been out of action for a while, could be a part of the East Zone in the season-opening Duleep Trophy.
The upcoming tournament is starting on August 28 and that could potentially mark Shami’s comeback to competitive cricket. The Duleep Trophy is set to be played in its old inter-zonal format. Shami, who has not played for India since the Champions Trophy early in 2025, would be aiming to hit back on to the crease.
The veteran Indian player has played 64 Test matches, 108 ODIs and 25 T20Is and has been in a superb form but his body has not supported him from last couple of years. Since suffering an injury during the last stage of the ODI World Cup 2023, Shami has participated in cricket tournaments but on an off and on basis.
Shami shines in CT 2025
In the final game of the Champions Trophy against New Zealand, Shami picked up nine wickets in five games – the joint-highest for India with Varun Chakravarthy, who got his nine wickets in three games. Post the CT 25, Shami could not impress in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with his new franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was just able to pick six wickets in nine innings.
The CT 2025 and IPL 2025 came after a long layoff period for Shami where he was away from the action due to ankle issues and knee-related niggles. The right-arm pacer came back for the T20I series at home against England in January 2024 after having last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November 2023. His domestic comeback had been with Bengal in late 2024.
Apart from Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Shahbaz Ahmed and Abishek Porel have also been included in the list.