There are spells, and then there are statement spells. At 35, without a BCCI central contract and no longer in the immediate national conversation, Mohammed Shami has just sent one straight to the selectors’ table. The BCCI chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, and Shami haven’t agreed on a couple of things in the last year or so but the pacer just continues to impress and toil in domestic setup. While Agarkar has posited that the BCCI doesn’t deem Shami fit enough to play the 5-day game for India, Shami has every time replied with performances for Bengal.
Shami stars for Bengal in Ranji Trophy…again
At the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani, Shami produced a performance that would make every Indian fan proud. His figures of 8/90 in 22.1 overs are the best of his first-class career. It powered Bengal to a 26-run first-innings lead over Jammu and Kashmir in the semi-final. Basically, if Shami wasn’t there, Bengal might not have had an edge to qualify for the Ranji Trophy final. Now, the summit clash between Bengal and Karnataka is all but set.
Bengal were bowled out for 328 after resuming at 249/5. Sudip Gharami’s 146 was the backbone of the innings, while Auqib Nabi claimed 5/87. Nabi continued to impress as he completed 50 wickets in this Ranji Trophy season. But once Jammu and Kashmir began their reply, it was Shami who dictated terms.
With the new ball on Day 2, he removed both openers in Shubham Khajuria and Yawer Hassan, reducing J&K to 13/2 before lunch. Later, he returned to break a threatening 147-run partnership between Paras Dogra and Abdul Samad, dismissing Samad for 82 and then Dogra for 58. Dogra also completed 10,000 Ranji Trophy runs during his knock.
Match-winner Shami rattles J&K
If Day 2 was about control, Day 3 was about domination. Starting with three wickets already, Shami struck early, then quickly completed his five-for. But he wasn’t done. When Auqib Nabi and Yudhvir Singh Charak stitched a 64-run stand that threatened to wipe out Bengal’s advantage, Shami came back and dismantled it. He removed Yudhvir with a beauty and then castled Nabi to wrap up the innings.
He bagged eight wickets with relentless lines. Old-school seam bowling with precision.
Mohammed Shami – Ranji Elite 2025-26 (for Bengal)
- Innings: 12
- Wickets: 36
- Economy: 2.71
- Strike Rate: 36.00
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