Mohammed Shami’s potential return to competitive cricket after his long lay-off due to injury is one of the key talking points ahead of the key tour of Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this year.

Shami has been out of the picture since the ODI World Cup final in November 2023, following his heroic performances in that tournament. However, with the potential to be a key member of the touring party for India, Shami is slated to get an opportunity to warm-up with a couple of matches in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal.

Speaking to the Indian Express about the plans for Shami’s return, Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla explained how the schedule in panning out. “He is not available for this match (vs Kerala), but we are hopeful that Shami will join us for games against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh,” explained the former all-rounder.

Shami has spent recent months rehabbing and working his way back to fitness at the NCA in Bangalore. Pictures and videos from the Chinnaswamy Stadium during India’s Test at the venue against New Zealand saw Shami also involved in training alongside the team, including assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, as he provided an update to the new management.

Shami will want to ensure that he is in competitive form if he is indeed chosen to fly to Australia, and Shukla referred to conversations he had with the pacer regarding this possibility. “He is a valuable player for India and the team his service will be required for the Australia series. Recently, he mentioned how keen he is about playing a couple of Ranji games for Bengal before travelling to Australia,” said the coach. 

Shami was one of the many injury victims on India’s previous tour to Australia, getting struck on the arm in the very first match in Adelaide and being forced to sit out for the remainder of the famous series.

Bengal vs Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh 

Bengal are set to play Karnataka in Bangalore on November 6, followed by a match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore on November 13. However, participation in the latter might preclude him from playing in the India vs India A three-day warm-up match at the WACA beginning on November 15.

“Good outings in the Ranji Trophy will be good for him ahead of the Australia tour and will be a big boost for us. Our four key players are playing for India and India A,” concluded Shukla. Mukesh Kumar will be part of the touring squad for India A, along with exciting young keeper Abhishek Porel and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who will be Ruturaj Gaikwad’s vice-captain on the tour. 

India will begin their five-Test tour of Australia on November 22 in Perth, but will then have a break until the pink-ball match in Adelaide beginning December 6. During this gap, they will play a tour game against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day match in Canberra. These are the key dates that Mohammed Shami and the Indian management will be eyeing for a potential return.

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