'He has not been neglected' - Ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly defends selectors over Mohammed Shami's snub

East Zone won the Duleep Trophy title after the final game against South Zone was drawn at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Ishan Kishan-led side scored 708 runs in the first innings, with the captain leading the charge with 270. South Zone were bowled out for a mere 336 in the first innings, with the eventual winners taking a massive lead of 372 runs. East Zone claimed the trophy after a long wait of 13 years. Kishan won the Player of the Match award, while Tilak Varma, the South Zone skipper, was named Player of the Tournament.

India pacer Mohammed Shami picked up two wickets in the final, which was his 100th first-class appearance. The bowler dismissed Ravichandran Smaran and Shaik Rasheed to break key partnerships. Shami finished the campaign with seven wickets.

Former India captain and the current president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Sourav Ganguly, spoke to the media at Eden Gardens after the game, where he was asked about Shami's return to the national side. Ganguly stated that he is happy to see the veteran fast bowler doing well in the domestic circuit.

“What makes me happy is that Shami is performing well in the domestic circuit, which is terrific to see, and he has achieved a lot," the 54-year-old replied.

Ganguly on Shami's selection status

While talking about Shami's chances of making the 2027 ODI World Cup squad, Ganguly opined that the marquee event is still some time away and refrained from sharing his views on the topic.

“October 2027 is a long time away, and I cannot comment on it," the 54-year-old former BCCI president mentioned.

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When reporters asked Ganguly whether the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee was neglecting Shami, the legendary former cricketer answered in the negative.

"He is not being neglected. He has played a lot and is a champion. This happens as you get older. I was dropped from ODI cricket despite scoring over 10,000 runs, but found my way back into the team. This happens to everyone," he said.