Shami, Akash Deep, Mukesh Headline Strong Bengal Pace Attack for Ranji Trophy Opener

Team India pacer Mohammed Shami headlines a formidable Bengal pace attack as the state gears up for its Ranji Trophy 2025-26 opener against Uttarakhand at Eden Gardens on October 15. The squad, which also includes Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and Ishan Porel, will be led by opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who replaces Anustup Majumdar as captain.

The leadership change was reportedly made after discussions with Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain and newly appointed president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

Shami, who last played for India during the Champions Trophy in March, has seen limited game time since the end of IPL 2025. He made a brief appearance in the Duleep Trophy for East Zone in August, bowling 34 overs across two innings and picking up a solitary wicket. His return to the domestic circuit is seen as a crucial step in regaining full match fitness and making a case for national selection.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had earlier cited Shami’s lack of recent match practice as a reason for his exclusion from the ongoing West Indies Test series.

Joining Shami in the pace battery is Akash Deep, who impressed during India’s Test series in England earlier this year with a standout ten-wicket haul in Birmingham. Having recovered from a back injury that kept him out of the Duleep Trophy, Akash Deep has cleared fitness tests and is eyeing a return to the national setup, especially with the upcoming South Africa Test series in November.

Mukesh Kumar, another promising pacer, also returns after recovering from a hamstring injury picked up during the Duleep Trophy. He had earlier toured England with the India A squad and picked up three wickets in his sole appearance there.

The trio, alongside the consistent Ishan Porel, gives Bengal one of the most potent pace attacks in the competition.

Bengal is placed in Group C alongside Assam, Services, Tripura, Railways, Haryana, Gujarat, and their opening opponents Uttarakhand. The team will look to begin their campaign on a strong note, buoyed by both the return of their pace stalwarts and a fresh leadership approach under Easwaran.