Mohammed Shami showcased his skills at the Bengal Cricket Academy in Kalyani, taking eight wickets in the second semifinal against Uttar Pradesh. His performance included three wickets on Day 2 and Day 4, marking his best career achievement to date.
The conditions favored seam bowlers, and Shami made the most of it. Bengal scored 328 runs, with Sudip Kumar Gharami contributing a record 146 runs. When it was time to bowl, Shami quickly took two wickets with the new ball, dismissing openers Shubham Khajuruia (3) and Yawer Hasan (2).
LATER in the game, he claimed the wicket of Abdul Samad (82), interrupting a significant 147-run partnership with Captain Paras Dogra (58). On Day 3, Shami removed Kanhaiya Wadhawan (29) and Abid Mushtaq (27), both of whom were last-minute additions from the previous day’s play. His last two wickets were Yudhvir Singh (33) and Aquib Nabi (42), who had taken five wickets for Bengal earlier. Shami finished with eight wickets for 90 runs, achieving an economy rate of 4.06.
Bengal falters at 99
Mukesh Kumar also picked up two wickets against J&K, and the visitors ended with 302 runs, trailing by 26. However, Bengal’s second innings saw them bowled out for just 99 runs, with Shahbaz Ahmed as the top scorer at 24 runs.
Aqib Nabi took four wickets for 36 runs in just 10 overs, while Sunil Kumar also secured four wickets, conceding 27 runs in 9.1 overs. Yudhvir Singh took two wickets in 5 overs.
Despite poor batting, Bengal managed to take two wickets from Jammu Kashmir, with contributions from Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep.
Mohammed Shami’s Recent Contract Snub
Recently, Mohammed Shami was excluded from the BCCI central contracts list for the 2025–26 season, a decision announced in early February 2026. The main reason cited was his absence from International cricket during the evaluation period, with his last match being in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Concerns regarding fitness and workload also played a role, as the BCCI medical team questioned his capacity for long-form red-ball cricket. Additionally, selectors are reportedly focusing on younger pace bowlers for future international events.
Regardless, Shami has been strong on the domestic front, leading Bengal with 36 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, 15 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 16 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The BCCI currently operates with three contract tiers—A, B, and C—having eliminated the Grade A+ category, leaving several players like Ishan Kishan and Mukesh Kumar without contracts.
