Mohammed Shami's return to red-ball cricket confirmed; set to play for this team before playing for India

Veteran India fast bowler Mohammed Shami is likely to play for his domestic state side Bengal in the upcoming season of the Ranji Trophy before marking his international return for India.

Shami has been out of the selection since he underwent an Achilles Tendon surgery in London earlier this year. Since then, he has been trying to get back to full fitness and is slowly getting back to that point.

Currently, he is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. It is understood that Shami has started to bowl at full tilt but still needs some time to get back on the park.

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Mohammed Shami to play for Bengal in Ranji Trophy 2024-25

According to a report in PTI, Mohammed Shami will return to his domestic team Bengal before being available to play a Test match against India. He will play either first or both the Bengal's opening Ranji Trophy matches of the season.

Bengal's first match this season is an away fixture against Uttar Pradesh on October 11 while the next one is a home fixture against Bihar at Kolkata starting on October 18. Since there is a small gap between the two games, it is unlikely that Shami will play both of them given the workload management.

Earlier, it was assumed that Shami might be available to play in the Duleep Trophy 2024. However, the selectors felt that it would be too early for him to play in the tournament. As a result, it was decided that Shami would not be rushed and would be given time to be fully fit.

When will Mohammed Shami make an international return?

Coming to his international return, Mohammed Shami is likely to don an India jersey in the Test series against New Zealand at home. The three-match Test series will begin on October 19 in Bengaluru. The next two Tests are in Pune and Mumbai.

Shami will likely play one out of those three matches before traveling to Australia for the much-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he will be one of India's most important bowlers. Shami is also India's most experienced fast bowler in Australian conditions and has a good record there as well.

The 34-year-old is a key player of India's decorated fast bowling trio which also includes Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. If India manages to keep all the fast bowlers fit, they can prove to be dangerous for the Australian batters.

Mohammed Shami's last international match

Mohammed Shami last played an international match in the ODI World Cup final 2023 against Australia, where India lost heartbreakingly. Shami emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament despite starting his tournament midway when Hardik Pandya got injured.

The right-arm seamer picked up 24 wickets in just seven matches at an average of 10.70 in the tournament and almost took India to the title win. Since the World Cup last year, he has missed important tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and the T20 World Cup 2024.