Mohammed Shami and the Bengal team [Source: CAB]India veteran Mohammed Shami has found his place in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy 2026-27 squad for the first match of the season against Delhi after producing one of the best performances in the previous season. Shami’s inclusion comes as the Bengal Cricket Association announced the team under Abhimanyu Easwaran for the tournament.Notably, Mohammed Shami has played 100 first-class matches in his career, and the upcoming tournament will only add to his abilities, with his wicket tally at 384 in domestic red-ball cricket.ALSO READBhuvneshwar Kumar T20I Record Before India Comeback vs New ZealandBengal squad for Ranji Trophy 2026-27 revealed Sudip Kumar Gharami, one of the highest run scorers of the previous season, has been named the vice-captain of the squad, while it will be led by Easwaran. The announcement also saw local talents like Pradipta Pramanik, Ankur Paul and Sumanta Gupta in the unit.Bengal Ranji Trophy 2026-27 squad:Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Sudip Kumar Gharami (vice-capt), Sudip Chatterjee, Abishek Porel (wk), Shakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Ankur Paul, Sumanta Gupta, Ankit Shukla, Subham Chatterjee, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Md. Kaif, Soummyadip MandalStandbys: Karan Lal, Akhilesh Yadav, Geet Puri, Abishek Kr. Raman, Subham Sarkar, Sumit Mohanta, Aditya PurohitOther notable inclusions in the squad are Abishek Porel, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar. Bengal will play their Ranji opener on October 11 against Delhi.Shami’s way back into the national setup awaits?Just like Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s mega comeback to the Indian T20I side, some of Shami's productive spells from Shami can easily throw in a few chances at him for a comeback in the ODI or red-ball setup, especially ahead of the World Cup 2027. Mohammed Shami took 37 wickets in the last Ranji season, further strengthening the case for why he was included for this season in the first place. The cricketer also impressed equally that year in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 15 scalps from just 7 matches.To further strengthen his case for the 2027 WC inclusion, during the 2023 World Cup, Shami was almost unplayable, claiming 24 wickets in just seven matches at an exceptional average of 10.71. Overall, in ODIs, he boasts 206 wickets at an average of 24.05.ALSO READBCCI Bids Farewell To Ajit Agarkar, Issues Heartfelt Message
