Mohammad Shami Returns to Action: Bengal's Star Bowler Set for Vijay Hazare Trophy

Mohammad Shami, the Indian pacer, is making a significant comeback as he leads Bengal in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. After a successful domestic season, where he took 36 wickets across formats, Shami aims to showcase his skills despite being overlooked for national selection. The tournament kicks off on December 24, with Bengal facing Vidarbha in Rajkot. Shami's performance will be crucial as he spearheads a strong pace attack alongside Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar. Will he reclaim his spot in the national team? Read on to find out more about his journey and Bengal's squad.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 20, 2025, 12:02 IST

Mohammad Shami's Comeback in Domestic Cricket

Kolkata: Mohammad Shami, the Indian pacer who has recently fallen out of favor, has made a notable impact in domestic cricket, claiming 36 wickets across various formats. He has been included in Bengal's squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day tournament.

After a significant injury layoff, Shami has made a strong comeback, although he was not selected for the recent series against South Africa.

His fitness has been a topic of discussion, especially after missing out on national selection.

Despite this, Shami has excelled in domestic competitions, starting with the Ranji Trophy where he took 20 wickets in four matches at an impressive average of 18.60, including a standout performance of 5/38. Bengal remains unbeaten in five matches, leading Group C with three outright victories.

Continuing his form, Shami was the top wicket-taker for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, securing 16 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.93.

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he will lead Bengal's pace attack, which also features fellow Indian bowlers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar.

The squad announced on Friday sees top-order batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran taking on the captaincy role.

Bengal is placed in Elite Group B and will kick off their campaign against Vidarbha in Rajkot on December 24. Other teams in the group include Assam, Baroda, Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh.

The tournament will take place in various locations, including Ahmedabad (Group A), Rajkot (Group B), Jaipur (Group C), and Alur (Group D), with the knockout stages hosted at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence from January 12-18.

Bengal Squad:

Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Anustup Majumdar, Abishek Porel (WK), Sudip Kr Gharami, Sumanta Gupta, Sumit Nag (WK), Chandrahas Dash, Shahbaz Ahmed, Karan Lal, Mohammad Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Sayan Ghosh, Ravi Kumar, Aamir Gani, Vishal Bhati, Ankit Mishra.