This was Shami’s second five-wicket haul in three matches. Bowling with one hand taped, he shook, rattled and rolled his way to the 15th five-for of his First-Class career. He gave Bengal an early breakthrough, trapping openers Shubham Khajuria and Yawer Hassan lbw. After Paras Dogra and Abdul Samad stitched together a 143-run stand, it was Shami who broke the threatening partnership. Forty-nine runs later, he had Abid Mushtaq edging behind before completing his five-wicket haul by dismissing Kanhaiya Wadhawan.

More carnage followed as Shami wasn’t done yet. After tailenders Auqib Nabi Dar and Yudhvir Singh Charak frustrated Bengal with a dogged 50-plus stand, Shami dismissed both of them, along with Vanshaj Sharma, to finish with eight wickets. His previous best figures were 7/79 against Madhya Pradesh in 2012-13, a few months before he made his India debut.

Despite producing one incisive spell after another – not just in the Ranji Trophy but across First-Class cricket – the question persists: what is stopping Ajit Agarkar’s BCCI selection committee from giving Shami one final run with the Indian team? It’s not as if he is unfit or unable to bowl long spells. He has done so consistently in the Ranji Trophy and even struck a blazing fifty in his previous match, with selector RP Singh in attendance. What more does he need to do?

There is a growing belief that Shami may well have played his last match for India. And the reasons are understandable. At 35, he is nearing the twilight of his career, and India’s fast-bowling unit appears to have moved on. Yet the prospect of Shami partnering Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball one last time remains enticing. India’s tour of New Zealand in October-November could tempt the selectors to offer him a farewell series, if nothing more. Relations between Shami and the selection committee have been strained. The veteran pacer has accused the panel of maintaining silence over his future, while Agarkar’s stance suggests otherwise. When October approaches, both sides may have an opportunity to set the record straight.

All this, of course, depends on how India fare on the road to the World Test Championship final. If another disaster strikes in Colombo, Shami could be confined to domestic cricket. If not, the New Zealand series becomes even more crucial. With a highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy lined up in January – a minimum of a four-Test series – Shami may well miss out. Hence, New Zealand could be his only chance. He last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Will the selectors listen and end his exile?