On Saturday, November 22, Bengal released their roster for the next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26, which includes the major comeback of out-of-favour India bowler Mohammed Shami. The seasoned fast bowler, along with fellow seamer Akash Deep, has been named to Bengal’s 17-member team, which will be led by captain Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Shami had made a solid case for selection after recuperating from a leg ailment that held him out of the game. In the first phase of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, the experienced bowler took 20 wickets in seven innings, with a remarkable economy rate of 2.56 and strike rate of 43.00. His finest performance came in the first two matches, when he took 15 wickets and played a key part in Bengal’s straight victories over Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
Importantly, having played in four of Bengal’s five Ranji matches thus far, Shami is completely healthy and determined to make a comeback to the Indian team. He has been absent from international cricket for a long time, most recently starring in India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign in 2025. Despite his impressive Ranji performances, Shami was not selected for the last white-ball series in Australia or the current Test series against South Africa. He will play for LSG in the IPL 2026 after being traded by SRH.
Key performers in the Bengal unit include Abishek Porel and Shakir Habib Gandhi. The team has been assigned to Group C for this season’s domestic tournament. They will launch their campaign against Baroda on November 26 in Hyderabad. Other teams in the group include Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Services, Puducherry, and Haryana.
Bengal’s squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025:
Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Sudip Gharami, Abishek Porel (WK), Shakir Habib Gandhi (WK), Yuvraj Keswani, Priyanshu Srivastav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pradipta Pramanik, Writtick Chatterjee, Karan Lal, Saksham Chaudhary, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Sayan Ghosh, Kanishk Seth, Yudhajit Guha, and Shreyan Chakraborty
India
