Mohammed Shami knocked loudly on the door of the Indian selectors with a sensational eight-wicket haul for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Jammu & Kashmir in Kalyani on Tuesday, February 17. The veteran pacer continued his red-hot domestic form with a spell that could reignite national selection talks.
Shami played the ball on the Bengal cricket pitch and dismantled the J&K batting line-up with pace, control and experience. He scored his five-wicket haul in the 59th over of the first innings when he caught Kanhaiya Wadhawan behind before celebrating furiously with his teammates.
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The eight-wicket haul was another reminder of Shami’s growing pace in domestic cricket this season. The 35-year-old was constantly between the goalsproducing match-winning spells at a time when India’s pace depth is under constant scrutiny.
Shami’s rise in form has been steadily increasing. He also claimed five wickets against Services last month, returning figures of 5/51 in the second innings. Overall, the 35-year-old took 38 wickets in seven matches, including three five-fors, cementing his place among the best bowlers in this Ranji season.
CAN SHAMI BRING BACK INDIA?
Shami’s strong home run has extended beyond red-ball cricket. He was equally impressive in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 15 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.09. Yet, despite these performances, he was overlooked in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand and did not feature in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. Mohammed Siraj was drafted in late as an injury replacement for Harshit Rana.
Temper also endured setbacks off the field, including losing the BCCI central contract. His last appearance for India came during the Champions Trophy 2025 and since then Shami has worked his way back into contention through consistent performances in domestic cricket.
Meanwhile, Bengal posted a solid 328 in their first innings, led by Sudip Kumar Gharami’s brilliant 146. With Shami at the helm of the bowling attack, they kept Jammu and Kashmir under constant pressure, ensuring Bengal remained firmly in control of the semi-final contest.
After Ranji Trophy, Shami will return to franchise cricket and his next assignment will come for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. But with India’s international calendar packed with big Test challenges in 2026, Shami’s resurgence may soon be too much for the selectors to ignore.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 17, 2026