Shami has taken 36 wickets this season, excelling in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
The 34-year-old will lead Bengal’s pace attack alongside Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar
Bengal, led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, begin their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign on December 24
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Mohammed Shami To Lead Bengal Squad Amid National Team Exile
Mohammed Shami has been included in Bengal’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 after an impressive domestic season, with the veteran pacer rewarded for strong form despite remaining out of India’s national plans
Summary
Out-of-favour India pacer Mohammed Shami has been included in Bengal’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, with the selectors rewarding his strong domestic performances despite continued omission from the national team.
Shami has not featured for India for some time and was notably overlooked for the recent home series against South Africa, raising questions over his standing in the national selection pecking order.
However, the lack of an India recall has not slowed him down, as he has emerged as one of Bengal’s most consistent performers following a lengthy injury lay-off. The experienced fast bowler has been in outstanding form across formats on the domestic circuit, claiming 36 wickets this season.
Shami’s Comeback Boosts Bengal’s Pace Battery
Shami’s fitness has been a subject of debate in recent months after missing out on international selection, but his performances in domestic cricket have offered a strong rebuttal. Beginning with the Ranji Trophy, the senior pacer picked up 20 wickets from four matches at an average of 18.60, including a standout spell of 5/38.
Bengal remain unbeaten after five outings in the red-ball competition, registering three outright wins to sit atop Group C, with Shami playing a central role in their success.
The 34-year-old carried that form seamlessly into the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as Bengal’s leading wicket-taker, collecting 16 wickets from seven matches at an impressive average of 14.93.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Shami To Lead Bengal’s Pace Attack
In the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day competition, Shami will spearhead Bengal’s three-pronged pace attack, alongside fellow India pacers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, giving the side considerable experience and firepower in the bowling department.
The squad, announced on Friday, will be led by top-order batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has been named captain.
Bengal have been placed in Elite Group B and will open their campaign against Vidarbha in Rajkot on December 24. The group also features Assam, Baroda, Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
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The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 will be staged across multiple centres, with Ahmedabad hosting Group A, Rajkot Group B, Jaipur Group C, and Alur Group D. The knockout matches will be held at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence from January 12 to 18.
Bengal squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (c), Anustup Majumdar, Abishek Porel (wk), Sudip Kr Gharami, Sumanta Gupta, Sumit Nag (wk), Chandrahas Dash, Shahbaz Ahmed, Karan Lal, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Sayan Ghosh, Ravi Kumar, Aamir Gani, Vishal Bhati, Ankit Mishra.
(With PTI Inputs)
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