Mohammed Shami drafted in for the Bengal v Services Ranji Trophy match

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami will play for Bengal in their opening round of Ranji Trophy 2017-18 encounter against Services, commencing on October 6. Shami didn’t make it to India’s T20 squad for the 3-match series against Australia, and therefore will be on duty for his state side. Shami will replace Shreevats Goswami, who has been selected for the India A ODIs against New Zealand A. Bengal won’t call for a back up wicket-keeper as they have Wriddhiman Saha in their ranks.

Shami is likely to join the team on wednesday as they prepare for the season ahead. The pacer featured in just one match during the recently concluded ODI series between India and Australia, and finished wicket-less after conceding 62 runs in his 10 overs.

“Since Shami has not played much cricket during the past three weeks save the lone ODI, he is fit and fresh. He is a certainty for the New Zealand ODIs but a couple of Ranji games will certainly give some much required game time,” a BCCI official privy to selection matters told PTI today.

Ojha left out in the cold

Bengal spinner Pragyan Ojha has been left out of the squad for the first two games of the Ranji Trophy games. Bengal will lock horns against Services and Chhattisgarh in the first two matches. Ojha, who has played for Bengal in the last two seasons, wanted to go back to Hyderabad but he has not been granted No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Bengal are in Group D along with Services, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

Bengal Squad: Manoj Tiwary (captain), Sudip Chatterjee (vice-captain), Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sreevats Goswami, Anustup Majumdar, Abhishek Kr. Raman, Koushik Ghosh, Aamir Gani, Pradipta Pramanik, Ashoke Dinda, Sayan Ghosh, Mukesh Kumar, Kanishk Seth, B Amit, Writtick Chatterjee.