Easwaran, who is also trying to strengthen his case ahead of the IPL auction, scored 58 off 37 balls. Bengal chased 166
in 15.1 overs. Abhishek Porel, representing Delhi Capitals in the IPL, scored 56 off 29 balls. The pair added 93 runs
for the second wicket in 8.2 overs, which set up the chase.
Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: Out-of-favour India pacer Mohammed Shami delivered another strong performance in domestic cricket, taking 4
for 13 to help Bengal beat Services by seven wickets in a Group C match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad on
Thursday. This was Bengal’s fourth win in five matches in the tournament. The team, led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, moved to
the top of the points table with 16 points and is in a good position to reach the knockouts.
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Easwaran, who is also trying to strengthen his case ahead of the IPL auction, scored 58 off 37 balls. Bengal chased 166
in 15.1 overs. Abhishek Porel, representing Delhi Capitals in the IPL, scored 56 off 29 balls. The pair added 93 runs
for the second wicket in 8.2 overs, which set up the chase. The platform was created by Shami, who was named Player of
the Match for his figures of 4/13 in 3.2 overs, and India pacer Akash Deep, who took 3/27. Services were bowled out for
165 in 18.2 overs. Shami picked two wickets in his first spell, dismissing openers Gaurav Kocchar (0) and Ravi Chauhan
(26 off 9). Mukesh Kumar, on his return, gave away 53 runs in three overs. Writtick Chatterjee (2/32) and Akash Deep
removed key middle-order batters before Shami ended the innings by taking the final wickets.
Should Mohammed Shami be included in the Indian squad for upcoming series?
Yes, he deserves a chance No, stick with current players
Shami’s strong domestic performance comes when India’s pace-bowling options for the South Africa series are being
discussed. Prasidh Krishna conceded 85 runs in the second ODI, even though he took two wickets, which led to debate
about Shami’s absence. Harbhajan Singh also questioned the decision. "Where is Shami? I don't know why Shami is not
playing. I get it, you have Prasidh, he is a good bowler, but he still has a lot to learn. You had good bowlers, and you
have slowly sidelined them. With Bumrah, this is a different bowling attack, and without Bumrah, it is entirely
different attack altogether. We have to learn the art of winning games without Jasprit Bumrah," Harbhajan said on his
YouTube channel. Shami has not played for India since the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where he finished as India’s
joint-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets.