Shami was rested from duty, no worries about his fitness, says Bengal coach

Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla on Sunday dismissed speculation surrounding Mohammed Shami’s absence from the team’s Ranji Trophy second-round match against Services, saying the senior fast bowler is fit and asked to be rested after playing a heavy workload in the previous round.

Shami was expected to lead the pace of Bengal’s attack in their second match of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season, with Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar unavailable due to India A commitments. However, the 36-year-old was not included in the playing XI for the match at the Palam ground in New Delhi.

His absence came shortly after was overlooked for India’s two-Test tour of New Zealandprompting speculation about his fitness and whether selection offense played a role in his decision not to play.

However, Shukla played down the speculation and insisted that the decision was purely about managing Shami’s workload.

“Shami is fit, he was rested. He played a lot of overs last round against Delhi. He himself asked to rest. He is a cheetah. Resting Shami also gives us opportunities to try fresh faces,” Shukla told reporters at the end of the day’s play.

Mohammed Shami looks good. At the end of a day’s play at Palam, Delhi, it is thrown down. 15 wickets fall on Day 1 as Services end at 83/5, trailing Bengal by 101 runs. @ITGDsports #RanjiTrophy Akshay Ramesh (@iamnotakshayr) October 18, 2026

Shami made an impressive start to his Ranji Trophy campaign against Delhi in Kalyani last week, picking up four wickets for 30 runs in 17.3 overs, including nine maidens. His performance came amid questions about his fitness, with the fast bowler making his position clear when speaking to reporters after the match.

“You can see my fitness. Write it. You’re watching me. What happens if I say that? I’m down. I’m playing. I’m playing where I can. My job is just to keep bowling,” he said.

Shami was a key figure for Bengal in the previous Ranji Trophy season, taking 37 wickets in seven matches at an average of 16.72. He took three catches with five wickets, with his best figures of eight for 90, underscoring his importance to Bengal’s red-ball attack.

There was no sign of him being kept away from cricket on Sunday. Shami was seen having long talks with Bengal’s physio during the day and training on the eve of the match. After game day, he headed to the field for batting practice, where he faced a throw near the screen. He was also seen helping to carry the ice box into the ground.

Bengal, meanwhile, were all out for 184 after electing to bat, with skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran top-scoring with 56. Services reached 83 for five at stumps, trailing by 101 runs. Pradipta Pramanik and Aamir Gani took two wickets each for Bengal while Shahbaz Ahmed claimed one.

With Shami rested, Bengal had an opportunity to assess their other bowling options in the absence of Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar. Shukla’s comments also offered a clear answer to the speculation that followed the omission of the fast bowler from India’s upcoming assignments.

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