Mohammed Shami has been named in Bengal's squad for the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, boosting hopes that the experienced fast bowler could soon make his way back into India's plans. The Cricket Association of Bengal announced a 17-member squad on Wednesday, October 7, with Shami included among the main players and seven others listed as standbys.

Shami's selection comes at a time when there is renewed discussion about his potential return to the Indian team. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's recent comeback has further fuelled speculation, with the 36-year-old pacer being picked for India's T20I series against New Zealand.

His inclusion came as a surprise after many had assumed his international career was over.

Bengal To Face Delhi In Ranji Opener

Bengal will begin their Ranji Trophy campaign against Delhi from October 11 to 14. The match will be played at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani.

With Shami included in the squad, he is expected to feature in Bengal's playing XI if declared fit. The veteran pacer also represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions during the previous season.

Abhimanyu Easwaran To Lead Bengal

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been appointed captain for Bengal's opening Ranji fixture, while Sudip Gharami will serve as vice-captain.

Easwaran, 31, has been one of the consistent performers on the domestic circuit and is particularly known for his dependable batting in red-ball cricket.

Despite being in and around India's Test selection plans on several occasions, Easwaran is yet to make his international debut.

Bengal Squad For Ranji Trophy Opener

Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Sudip Gharami (Vice-Captain), Sudip Chatterjee, Abishek Porel (WK), Shakir Gandhi (WK), Ankur Paul, Sumanta Gupta, Ankit Shukla, Shubham Chatterjee, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Jaiswal, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Mohammed Kaif and Soumyadeep Mandal.

Standby Players: Karan Lal, Akhilesh Yadav, Geet Puri, Abhishek Raman, Shubham Sarkar, Sumit Mohanta and Aditya Purohit.

Standby Players: Karan Lal, Akhilesh Yadav, Geet Puri, Abhishek Raman, Shubham Sarkar, Sumit Mohanta and Aditya Purohit.