India pacer Mohammed Shami has been named in Bengal’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) squad as he continues his comeback from injury. The 33-year-old, who has been out of favour at the national level, recently impressed in the Ranji Trophy and now looks to carry that form into the domestic T20 tournament.
Strong Ranji Trophy Showing Helps Shami Earn Recall
Shami, who had suffered a leg injury earlier in the season, returned to competitive cricket through the Ranji Trophy and delivered impactful performances.
He played four of Bengal’s five matches and picked up 20 wickets, including 15 in his first two games. His early-season brilliance powered Bengal to consecutive wins over Uttarakhand and Gujarat, pushing them to the top of Group C.
On Friday, he was named in Bengal’s 17-member squad, which will once again be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran. Fellow India pacer Akash Deep has also been included.
Shami Eyes India Comeback Despite Being Overlooked
Despite his strong domestic performances, Shami has not found a place in India’s squads for the white-ball series in Australia or the ongoing Test series against South Africa.
However, the veteran pacer remains focused on fitness and readiness:
“My motivation is to stay fit and be available for the India team. It’s not my job to update selectors on fitness,” Shami had said during the Ranji Trophy.
Promising Youngsters Included in the Squad
The Bengal squad features rising wicketkeeper-batter Abhishek Porel, who returns after representing India A in the Rising Asia Cup. Shakir Habib Gandhi has been named as the second keeper.
Bengal is placed in Group C for the SMAT and will begin their campaign against Baroda on November 26 in Hyderabad. Their group also includes Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Services, Puducherry, and Haryana.
Bengal Squad for SMAT
Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Sudip Gharami, Abhishek Porel (WK), Shakir Habib Gandhi (WK), Yuvraj Keswani, Priyanshu Srivastav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pradipta Pramanik, Writtick Chatterjee, Karan Lal, Saksham Chaudhary, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Sayan Ghosh, Kanishk Seth, Yudhajit Guha, Shreyan Chakraborty.
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