The Indian pacer Mohammed Shami is expected to be sidelined for Bengal’s two opening matches in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25.
Shami underwent surgery earlier this year and has not regained full fitness after suffering an injury during the ODI World Cup 2023 finals. With the pacer set to return to action for New Zealand tests, he desired to play two Ranji Trophy matches before featuring his international return.
Meanwhile, the pacer Mohammed Shami hinted at his international return saying that he decided to recover before entering into the field.
“If I need to play domestic cricket to test my fitness, I will. What matters most is being fully ready for whatever comes next, regardless of the opposition or format,” said Shami.
After Bengal announced their squad, the Indian pacer took to his social media handle to share some delightful images of himself while enjoying badminton at his home. Shami shared a post captioned on Instagram saying, “Sometimes, all you need is some time for yourself to rediscover inner peace and happiness.”
Bengal team will have to navigate the early stage of the season without their premier bowler. While Shami’s absence is a big blow, Bengal’s squad will be bolstered by the return of Wriddhiman Saha and Sudip Chatterjee.
Saha made his debut back in 2007 and will be making a comeback after leaving the team in 2022 due to a disagreement with the Bengal Cricket Association.
Saha played for Tripura taking on a dual role as mentor and player but is now ready to return to Bengal and strengthen their batting lineup.
Sudip Chatterjee’s return is another positive for Bengal. The top order batter Chatterjee has been a consistent performer for the side and will likely to their success in the early stages of the tournament.
Bengal will be facing Uttar Pradesh in their first match in Lucknow on October 11 at Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Bengal squad for Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Anustup Majumdar (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Sudip Chatterjee, Wriddhiman Saha, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abishek Porel, Writtick Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Shuvam Dey, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Jaiswal, Mohd Kaif, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Yudhajit Guha, Rohit Kumar and Rishav Vivek.
