Mohammed Shami makes comeback despite Ajit Agarkar shutting door on India selection

After being left out of India’s white-ball tour of Australia, fast bowler Mohammed Shami is making a return to domestic cricket with Bengal. Mohammed Shami has been named in Bengal’s 18-member squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025-26, starting on October 15.

The upcoming red-ball competition will give Mohammed Shami a chance to regain form and prove his worth to the national selectors. The star fast bowler hasn’t played for India since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in March, and his continuous absence has sparked discussions about his international future.

Mohammed Shami set for Bengal comeback in Ranji Trophy 2025-26

It is being said that Mohammed Shami was disappointed by how the selectors handled the situation, making the upcoming Ranji Trophy season even more significant for the pacer. With limited chances to showcase his talent, Shami will be aiming to make a statement in red-ball cricket.

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Meanwhile, Bengal will be led by experienced batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, with wicketkeeper-batsman Abishek Porel serving as vice-captain in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025-26. They have picked experience and youth in their fast-bowling attack by selecting Shami and Akash Deep.

Bengal’s batting will rely on veterans like Anustup Majumdar and Sudip Chatterjee, alongside promising youngsters Sudip Kr Gharami, Rahul Prasad, Saurabh Kumar Singh, and Vishal Bhati.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla continues as Bengal’s head coach, and he will be assisted by Arup Bhattacharjee and Shib Shankar Paul, while Charanjit Singh Matharu takes charge of fielding coaching.

Bengal to face Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 opener

Bengal has been placed in Elite Group C with Gujarat, Haryana, Services, Railways, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Assam. They will open their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 campaign at Eden Gardens on October 15 against Uttarakhand, followed by a home game against Gujarat on October 25 in Kolkata.

Notably, the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 will feature 38 teams, with 32 in the Elite division and six in the Plate division. The top two teams from each Elite group will move to the quarterfinals, while four Plate teams will advance to their knockout rounds.

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Bengal Squad for Ranji Trophy:

Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Abishek Porel (VC/WK), Shakir Habib Gandhi (WK), Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Sudip Chatterjee, Sumanta Gupta, Saurabh Kr Singh, Vishal Bhati, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Sumit Mohanta, Vikash Singh, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Ishan Porel, Kazi Junaid Saifi, and Rahul Prasad.

Tilak Varma appointed Hyderabad captain for Ranji Trophy 2025-26

Meanwhile, Tilak Varma has been appointed Hyderabad captain for the upcoming Ranji season. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) confirmed the decision on October 8. Additionally, Y. Rahul Singh has been named vice-captain by the HCA.

The Hyderabad squad featured the experienced campaigners with exciting youngsters, as they have a balanced team ready to compete in India’s premier red-ball competition. Hyderabad’s wicketkeeping duties will be shared between Ali Kachi Diamond and Rahul Radesh.

Seasoned names like C.V. Milind, Tanmay Agarwal, and M. Abhirath Reddy, alongside emerging talents such as Himateja, Varun Goud, Tanay Thyagarajan, Rohit Rayudu, Saranu Nishant, Punnaiah, Aniketh Reddy, and Kartikeya Kak, are in the squad for the Ranji Trophy.