Mohammed Shami, the star Indian pacer is ready to get back to competitive cricket after a long injury lay-off. The fast bowler has not played cricket since the last game of the ODI World Cup final 2023 when he suffered a serious ankle injury. Indian star cricketer will be making a comeback in Ranji Trophy, wherein Bengal will be up against Madhya Pradesh.

Mohammed Shami Makes Ranji Comeback

It has been learnt that the third-highest wicket-taker of ODI World Cup 2023, Shami, had his ankle surgery right after the tournament. With such a gap in cricket, everything looked promising when he was to return before the Test series against New Zealand for India; unfortunately, a knee issue during the recovery delayed his comeback further. Currently, Bengal stands fifth in the Ranji Trophy points table after amassing 8 points from 4 matches, which was boosted by three important points they gathered during their last match against Karnataka. Now, they are all set to face off against Madhya Pradesh in the fifth round of the tournament starting Wednesday, November 13.

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“Shami’s inclusion in the Bengal team will not just be a big boost but also lift the morale of the entire team, which aims to make it to the next round of the Ranji Trophy”, stated the Cricket Association of Bengal in a press release.

Shami had spoken about his recovery back in October, saying he was pain-free and looking to get fit fully. But India captain Rohit Sharma had some days ago addressed concerns over Shami’s injury, saying the pacer was still struggling with knee issues. And this feeling was further compounded when Shami wasn’t named in the squad for the series against New Zealand, a move that prompted him to refute media reports about his injury just before the series.

Will Shami Earn A Spot In Border-Gavaskar Trophy Squad?

As Mohammed Shami prepares to make a comeback in Ranji Trophy, the big question for many is whether he will also get a chance in Indian team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Shami, who has been out of action for months due to his ankle injury and later knee injuries, still remains one of India’s most potent fast bowlers. It will be only at the Ranji Trophy that Shami gets an opportunity to prove his fitness and preparedness for the big games against Australia, and if he can succeed in establishing his match fitness and getting back into rhythm in this scenario, it would be pretty interesting to argue that he could very well make it to the Border-Gavaskar contingent.

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Although he would face great competition for India’s pace attack places Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, Shami will be a very important addition in the studded Test series.