Mohammed Shami set to return to competitive cricket with Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh starting Wednesday

Shami hasn’t featured in a competitive game since the ODI World Cup final last year.

Mohammed Shami has been left out of the India squad for the Border-Gavaskar series.  | Photo Credit: Reuters

Mohammed Shami will make his return to competitive cricket tomorrow as Bengal faces Madhya Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy match in Indore.

Shami has not yet joined the team, but Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla confirmed he will arrive in Indore later today and is set to feature in the game. Shami has also received the necessary clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

After the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Shami had bowled extensively to India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and appeared to be in good rhythm. Sporting a black sleeveless t-shirt, shorts, and with his left knee strapped, Shami bowled from around the wicket to the left-handed Nayar, consistently hitting the good length area and occasionally sending down bouncers.

However, Shami was left out of the squad for the Border-Gavaskar series. That said, if Shami demonstrates his fitness during the upcoming four-day match, there is a chance he could be included in India’s Test squad. The current pace department comprises vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana as the primary fast bowlers, with Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Khaleel Ahmed listed as reserves.

Shami hasn’t played a competitive match since the ODI World Cup final last year, where he was the tournament’s top wicket-taker, claiming 24 wickets in seven matches at an impressive average of 10.70.

Speaking at an event last month, Shami shared that he had returned to bowling at “100%” and was seeing positive results.

But he was not selected for Bengal’s squad in the next round of the Ranji Trophy, where they faced Karnataka.