Sun Oct 13 16:41:27 UTC 2024: ## Mohammed Shami Ruled Out of First Two Ranji Trophy Matches, Uncertain for New Zealand Series
**Kolkata, India:** Star Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami remains sidelined due to injury and will miss the first two Ranji Trophy matches for Bengal. The development further casts doubt on his availability for the upcoming New Zealand Test series.
Shami, who last played in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, has been undergoing rehabilitation and his return to action is uncertain. While there were hopes that he would regain fitness and play for Bengal ahead of his comeback to the Indian team, his absence from the Ranji squad indicates a prolonged recovery period.
Bengal, led by Anustup Majumdar, will begin their Ranji Trophy campaign against Uttar Pradesh from October 11th to 14th, followed by a match against Bihar from October 18th to 21st. The first Test of the India-New Zealand series is scheduled to begin on October 16th, making Shami’s participation highly unlikely.
Shami’s absence is a major blow for India as the right-arm pacer was instrumental in their World Cup campaign, taking a tournament-leading 24 wickets. His return to full fitness is crucial for the team’s success in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in November.
The Bengal team for the first two Ranji Trophy matches includes: Anustup Majumdar (captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Sudip Chatterjee, Wriddhiman Saha, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abhishek Porel, Ritik Chatterjee, Evelyn Ghosh, Shubham Dey, Aakash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Suraj Jaiswal, Mohammed Kaif, Pradeepta Pramanik, Amir Gani, Yudhjeet Guha, Rohit Kumar, and Rishab Vivek.
First Piper 