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Mohammed Shami is letting the ball do all the talking as he continues to take heaps of wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26. The veteran pacer, who currently finds himself out of favour with the national setup, is doing everything he can to earn a place back in the squad. On Monday, the 35-year-old picked up four wickets against Haryana as he helped Bengal restrict Haryana to 191/9 in the allotted twenty overs.
Shami eventually returned with the figures of 4/30 as he took the wickets of Yashvardhan Dalal, Sumit Kumar, Ashish Siwach and Arpit Rana. However, this performance proved insufficient as Bengal failed to chase down 192, falling 21 runs short after being bowled out for 167.
In the seven matches that he has played for Bengal in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shami has returned with 16 wickets, with 11 of these coming in the previous three games against Services, Puducherry and Haryana.
Shami scalped four wickets each against Services and Haryana, while three came against Puducherry. The senior pacer also put all fitness concerns to rest as he has played seven matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the last 12 days.
Before SMAT, Shami also represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, delivering solid performances against Assam and Gujarat.
Shami’s war of words with Agarkar
When Shami was not picked in India’s squad for the two-match Test series against the West Indies, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar had raised questions on his fitness. However, the pacer hit back, saying he is fully fit, and his availability in the Ranji Trophy put all concerns to rest.
Shami did not stop there, as he fired shots at Agarkar, saying it was not his job to give fitness reports to the selectors, as the task lies with the medical team of the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
“About giving an update, it’s not my responsibility to give an update or ask for an update. It’s not my job to give updates on my fitness. My job is to attend the NCA (Centre of Excellence), prepare, and play matches. Woh unki baat hai unko kaun update deta hai, kisne nahin diya (That’s their matter who gives them updates or not). It’s not my responsibility,” an angry Shami told reporters.
Despite Shami’s strong performances, he continues to be on the sidelines and was overlooked for the Tests against South Africa, ODIs against Australia and the Proteas.
The pacer last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which the side won under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
