India National Cricket Team pacer Mohammed Shami has failed to regain fitness, while Wriddhiman Saha and Sudip Chatterjee have returned to the Bengal Ranji side for their first two games.

Shami is sidelined with an ankle injury and hasn’t played cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup.

He wanted to play domestic cricket before returning to the international arena.

“I am ready to play doemstic cricket to prove my fitness. I have to be fully ready for matches,” he had said.

Saha, who made his Bengal debut in 2007, joined Tripura as a mentor and player following his dispute with the Cricket Association of Bengal officials in 2022.

Bengal’s 19-member squad has left for Lucknow for their first game against Uttar Pradesh, starting on October 11. Bengal will then host Bihar in their second contest.

Squad: Anustup Majumdar (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Sudip Chatterjee, Wriddhiman Saha, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abishek Porel, Writtick Chatterjee, Avilin Ghosh, Shuvam Dey, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Jaiswal, Mohd Kaif, Pradipta Pramanik, Aamir Gani, Yudhajit Guha, Rohit Kumar and Rishav Vivek P.