During the Ranji Trophy 2024–25, Bengal captain Anustup Majumdar praised the Indian fast bowler for his incredible return to the cricket field. At the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Shami played for Bengal in the fifth-round match against Madhya Pradesh, marking his notable return to professional cricket after nearly a year.
After Bengal scored 228 in the first innings, the speedster quickly established himself by taking 4/54 in 19 overs to dismiss Madhya Pradesh for 167. Bengal skipper Anustup Majumdar expressed his desire to break up Subhranshu Senapati and Rajat Patidar's partnership after his outstanding comeback.
Bengal captain on Shami
"It seemed like a big partnership was happening, but Shami asked me for the ball and said he wanted to bowl a new spell from the following over. He has proven how desperate he was to return to the field. It didn't seem to me that he was returning from an injury,” Majumdar was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla praised Shami for bowling 19 overs without using any match simulation programs.
"Someone has come back after one year and has bowled 19 overs and taken so many wickets... what's there to say. He came into the match without doing any match simulation. Can you imagine? But obviously if he plays more, he will get better,” said Shukla.
Shukla added that he has never seen a fast bowler recover from an injury and bowl long spells.
"He bowled one six-over spell and one five-over spell. Players who bowl in the IPL don't even know how to bowl more than four overs. He bowled the sort of spells fast bowlers are expected to. I have never seen a fast bowler come back so strongly after one year away. What he did today is like a fairy-tale,” he added.
Meanwhile, after the second innings of the current Bengal vs. Madhya Pradesh match, Shami might be flown to Australia for the five-match Test series following his incredible return. It is believed that even though Australia has an 18-man roster, Shami would be included by the team management and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee as soon as Dr. Nitin Patel, the BCCI's head of the Medical and Sports Science division, deems him fit.
