Mohammed Shami walked off Eden Gardens on Tuesday looking – and sounding – like a man freed from months of frustration. The seamer’s 5 for 38 set up a 144-run victory over Gujarat, giving Bengal their second straight win of the Ranji Trophy season and pushing Shami to 15 wickets at 10.46 after just four innings.
“When you perform like this, it feels good both mentally and physically,” Shami said. “Coming out of a difficult phase and performing well gives a lot of satisfaction. The time after the [2023] World Cup was tough and painful.”
Key facts first. Bengal declared on the final morning, left Gujarat 286 to win, and let Shami loose with the second new ball. He struck in his first over, hooped the old ball later, and closed the match inside two sessions. It was his 13th first-class five-for and his first at home since 2021.
Shami’s place on the national radar is hardly in doubt, yet he has been out of India whites since the 2023 World Test Championship final. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar recently suggested the 34-year-old “hadn’t played enough cricket”. That comment stung, and Shami has responded in the only way fast bowlers know.
“But then I played the Ranji Trophy, white-ball cricket, the IPL, Champions Trophy, Duleep Trophy,” he pointed out. “Now my rhythm is back to where it was before. I can clearly feel there’s still a lot of cricket left in me.”
Those numbers agree. Only two bowlers have more wickets this season, and neither has Shami’s strike-rate of a wicket every 28 balls. For context, a good Ranji strike-rate hovers in the mid-40s.
Asked whether Tuesday felt like another comeback, he brushed it off. “This was not a comeback match for me. If you had said that last year, maybe it would have made sense. But yes, in terms of this match, what we did was a special comeback.”
He credited Bengal’s lower order for extending the lead in the morning: “We decided to bat for 8-10 overs today, we had already taken three points. The situation was tough, but the boys put in their full effort. To turn the game in this manner is rare, especially on this kind of wicket. It’s a great job by the boys.”
Speculation has already started about a recall for the South Africa Tests in December, chatter Shami prefers to ignore. “Yes, I knew this question would come,” he said with a wry smile. “Controversy follows me. What else can I do or say? In today’s world, social media twists everything. My job is to perform well. Wherever I get an opportunity, I’ll give my best. The rest is up to god. Bengal is my home. Every match I play for Bengal is special.”
Head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla, rarely one for hyperbole, could only applaud. “You all saw how Shami bowled. There’s nothing for me to add,” he said. “His performance said it all. There’s no question about his commitment. The entire world knows what Mohammed Shami is. He doesn’t need a certificate from anyone, his bowling is the certificate. He’s completely fit.”
Shukla, though, acknowledged the need for careful management. “We can’t make Shami play all seven matches, though he keeps saying he’s fit and wants to play every game,” he added. “The way he’s running in is unbelievable.” The coach hinted that Shami’s action today looks as smooth as it did a decade ago, and the speed-gun readings back that up, hovering around the mid-140s kph mark throughout the spell.
For now, Bengal are top of Group B; Shami is bowling as if nothing hurts; and national selectors have another set of numbers in their inbox. A quietly satisfying day’s work for a fast bowler who, by his own admission, still has plenty left in the tank.
