Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been absent from the national team since the Champions Trophy 2025 final, is making a significant return to competitive cricket. Despite being left out of recent squads — including the England tour, the West Indies series, and the upcoming Australia tour — Shami has been named in the Cricket Association of Bengal’s squad for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy.

Strengthening Bengal’s Bowling Attack
Shami’s inclusion, alongside fellow pacer Akash Deep, gives Bengal a formidable fast-bowling unit. The Ranji Trophy season will be crucial for Shami as he aims to deliver strong performances and push for a recall to the Indian team.

Leadership and Coaching in Bengal Squad
The Bengal team will be led by consistent batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran, with young wicketkeeper-batsman Abhishek Porel serving as vice-captain. Laxmi Ratan Shukla continues as head coach, assisted by Arup Bhattacharya and Shiv Shankar Paul, while Charanjit Singh Matharu will handle fielding coaching responsibilities.

Elite Group C Fixtures
Bengal has been placed in Elite Group C alongside Gujarat, Haryana, Army, Railways, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Assam. The team will kick off its Ranji Trophy campaign against Uttarakhand on October 15 at Eden Gardens, followed by a home match against Gujarat on October 25. Strong performances in these opening matches will be vital for Bengal to gain momentum in the points table.

Bengal Squad for 2025-26 Ranji Trophy
Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Abhishek Porel, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Sudip Chatterjee, Sumant Gupta, Saurabh Kumar Singh, Vishal Bhati, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Shakir Habib Gandhi, Ishan Porel, Qazi Junaid Saifi, Rahul Prasad, Sumit Mohanta, Vikas Singh.