Mohammed Shami's 8/90 In Ranji Trophy Semifinal: A Wake-Up Call For India Selectors

Mohammed Shami in Ranji Semifinal [Source: AFP]

Mohammed Shami, at 36 years of age, continued to be a pivotal contributor for Bengal in his 16th Ranji Trophy season. Despite Bengal's elimination at the semi-final stage in India's premier domestic tournament, Shami remained prominent in the team's positive narratives, despite being repeatedly overlooked by national selectors.

Shami took 37 wickets across seven of Bengal’s nine matches, concluding the season as the sixth-highest wicket-taker overall and the second-highest among pace bowlers, ranking just behind Auqib Nabi.

The curious case of Mohammed Shami

Shami last played for India in the Champions Trophy final in March 2025. He was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in that victorious campaign for India and took a 5-wicket haul in the opening match against Bangladesh. He did not have a great IPL 2025 and did not look fit. The big blow came when he was not picked for the 5-match Test series against England despite his previous success in that country. Shami played his last Test for India in the 2023 World Test Championship final, and despite his injury in 2024, there was no such reason for his snub in 2025.

For India, the past 18 months have been alarming, as they lost five out of seven Test matches at home. They experienced rare 3-0 and 2-0 whitewashes against New Zealand and South Africa. Additionally, they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 and drew with England 2-2. Their only series win came at home against the West Indies. Questions were raised about the intent of selectors, whether they chose to overlook Shami, particularly since he was available during the South Africa series.

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Shami continues to impress amidst the ignorance

Shami himself did what he could best to make his case strong. He played for Bengal across all three formats. In the Ranji Trophy, his 37 wickets came at an average of 16.72. He got three 5-wicket hauls, including a career-best 8/90 in the semifinal at Kalyani. Although it came in a losing cause, it showed how Shami could still take the lead of the bowling attack and create pressure on the opposition batters. Thanks to his spell, Bengal were able to take the lead in the first innings, but a collapse in the second innings saw them lose another opportunity to go to the final.

Even during the season, Shami has delivered critical spells, most notably against Uttarakhand when his seven wickets in the match helped Bengal with a winning start in the Ranji Trophy. He had 5-wicket hauls against Gujarat and Services as Bengal won both matches comfortably, along with the 8-wicket haul in the semifinal against Jammu and Kashmir. The performance came just after a few days of the veteran bowler being snubbed from the BCCI’s Central Contracts list for 2025-26.

In Kalyani, Shami appeared in great physical condition, and his mastery of line and length remained flawless. No wonder, with his brilliance and accurate bowling, Shami has increased the pressure on the selectors, making it intriguing to see if they will continue to overlook him.

However, the main challenge is that India's next international matches won't happen until July, after the ongoing T20 World Cup—a white-ball tour in England. Meanwhile, another impressive showing by Shami for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL could truly pave the way for his return, even if it's just in the white-ball format for India to start with.

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