'I'll Be Back On Track Soon': Mohammed Shami's Comeback Delayed As He Misses Out Of Ranji Squad

Mohammed Shami's comeback to competitive cricket has been delayed further as he was not included in the Bengal squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh . This comes as a surprise, as Shami had been expected to play the fixture against Karnataka to test his fitness in a real-match situation.

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Mohammed Shami's return to cricket delayed

Mohammed Shami had been bowling at full tilt in the nets after India's recent Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru, with bowling bowing coach Morne Morkel monitoring his progress. The pacer had also expressed confidence in his fitness, stating that he was feeling "100%" and had been bowling with a full run-up.

However, it seems that the team management has decided to err on the side of caution and not rush Shami's return. India skipper Rohit Sharma had also expressed reservations about taking a half-fit Shami to Australia, stating that the team wants to ensure he is fully fit before his return.

Mohammed Shami's exclusion from the Bengal squad means that his comeback will be delayed, and he will have to wait a bit longer to get back into competitive cricket. Despite this setback, Shami remains optimistic and is working hard to regain his fitness. As he recently said, "Hopefully, I'll be back on track soon."

Mohammed Shami was injured during the 2023 ODI World Cup which was held in India. Shami finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker despite not playing the initial matches. 

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Other than Mohammed Shami, Bengal will also miss the services of prolific opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, wicketkeeper batter Abhishek Porel and pacer Mukesh Kumar, who are with India A squad in Australia.

Pacer Akash Deep, who was part of the Indian team for the recent series against New Zealand, was also not named in the state squad.

However, veteran wicketkeeper batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has announced his retirement from cricket after the ongoing domestic season, has been named for the two matches.

Bengal squad against Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh: Anustup Majumdar (captain), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sudip Chatterjee, Sudip Gharami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Writtick Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Shuvam Dey, Shakir Habib Gandhi, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Ishan Porel, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mohammed Kaif, Rohit Kumar, Rishav Vivek. 

(With PTI inputs)