Shami makes his mark on Ranji return as Bengal fight back against Kerala

Mohammed Shami made an impact with the ball on his return to action for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, claiming three wickets to leave Kerala struggling at 101 for six on Day 2 of their match at Mangalapuram in Thiruvananthapuram.Mohammed Shami makes his mark on Ranji return as Bengal fight back against Kerala(PTI Photo)New Delhi,Oct 27, 2026 20:10 ISTMohammed Shami picked up three wickets to put Bengal in a strong position against Kerala in their Ranji Trophy clash at Mangalapuram in Thiruvananthapuram, while Shahbaz Ahmed struck a century to help the visitors recover from a difficult start and post 350 in their first innings.Resuming Day 2 at 172 for six, Bengal were indebted to Shahbaz, who scored 121 off 203 balls to register his third first-class hundred. His innings, which featured eight boundaries and four sixes, helped Bengal recover from a precarious position and put up a competitive total.Kerala, in reply, were struggling at 101 for six at stumps, trailing Bengal by 249 runs. Shami returned figures of three for 20 from eight overs, while Shahbaz followed up his century with two wickets for just eight runs in eight overs. Pradipta Pramanik also picked up a wicket as Bengal kept themselves in contention for a third consecutive win.Shahbaz found crucial support from Sumanta Gupta, who scored 49 off 95 balls. The pair added 103 runs for the seventh wicket to revive Bengal's innings after they had lost six wickets for 172 runs. Pradipta contributed 27, while Shami chipped in with 17 as Bengal were eventually bowled out for 350. Shahbaz had missed Bengal's opening match of the season while undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for an injury sustained during the Bengal T20 League. He made his return count with a responsible innings that gave Bengal a solid first-innings total.For Kerala, Aditya Sarvate was the most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 95 runs in 32 overs. Nedumankuzhy Basil picked up three wickets.SHAMI TRIGGERS KERALA COLLAPSE Kerala's reply got off to a poor start as Shami dismissed Abhishek Nair for four, before Pradipta bowled the other Abhishek for 12. Sachin Baby and captain Vishnu Vinod attempted to steady the innings, but Shahbaz broke their partnership by having Sachin caught by Sudip Gharami for 21.Shami then returned for a second spell and dealt Kerala two more blows. He breached Vinod's defence after the captain had scored 41 before dismissing Salman Nizar for 11. Shahbaz struck again towards the end of the day, having Sarvate caught by Abhimanyu Easwaran at slip.Kerala ended the day at 101 for six, with experienced all-rounder Jalaj Saxena and Mohammed Azharuddeen at the crease. The hosts face an uphill task on the third morning as they look to reduce the deficit and put themselves in a position to secure a first-innings lead.SHAMI STILL EYES INDIA COMEBACKShami's performance comes as he continues to push for a return to the Indian team. The 36-year-old was left out of the squad for the recently announced tour of New Zealand, having last represented India in March 2025. However, he has made it clear that he remains keen to play for the country and believes he is still at the peak of his fitness.Speaking to reporters after Bengal's win over Services in the Ranji Trophy, Shami said he had no intention of giving up on his ambition of making an international comeback."Hope should always be there (for India comeback). In any profession, in any sport, you should have a goal. Everyone has a goal. Today we are playing for Ranji Trophy and playing for the title. There is always a goal and there should be a goal," he said.When asked about his fitness, Shami was quick to correct a reporter who suggested that he had been at his peak in the past."Sir, aaj bhi hum peak par hi hain (I am still at my peak). There is no point in lying. Ham jaise bhi hain apne peak par hain (I am very much at my peak)," he said.Shami insisted that missing out on the New Zealand tour was not a disappointment and that his focus remained on playing regularly and staying prepared for future opportunities."It's not a matter of disappointment. I played the whole domestic season last year as well. I played all the matches. My motive is the same. I should play as much as I can. I should be prepared for all the upcoming series and tournaments."Nobody knows when and where I will have to play for India. Even for IPL, playing domestic cricket will be good for me. If I play domestic or white ball, my preparation will be the same. I will play as many matches as I can. My rhythm will be good."With the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa approaching, Shami was also asked whether he was looking that far ahead. The fast bowler said he preferred to concentrate on the matches in front of him rather than worry about what might happen in the future."I don't think so far. Today we are playing cricket. Tomorrow we don't know what will happen to someone or what the situation will be. There is no point in thinking so far."Whatever matches you are getting, you keep playing and keep improving yourself. I always say that your focus should be on your skill, your fitness," he said.- Ends