Shami Marks First-Class Comeback, but Fresh Injury Concerns Resurface in Duleep Trophy

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Mohammed Shami returned to red-ball cricket for the first time since November 2024, turning out for East Zone against North Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. While the veteran pacer showed glimpses of his class, his workload management and visible discomfort sparked fresh concerns over fitness.

On the opening day, Shami looked rusty in his initial spells, seemingly easing himself back into the rhythm of long-form cricket. His opening burst (5-2-10-0) and second spell (3-0-10-0) were controlled but lacked his trademark bite, as openers Ankit Kumar and Shubham Khajuria negotiated him without much difficulty.

Post-lunch, however, there were signs of the Shami of old. Bowling with a touch more pace and intent, his third spell (4-2-9-0) regularly beat the bat, while in-dippers forced Ayush Badoni and Nishant Sindhu into some uncomfortable moments. Later in his fourth spell (5-0-26-1), he should have had a wicket when Kumar Kushagra spilled a chance at long-on, but soon after, Sahil Lotra nicked one outside off, giving Shami his first breakthrough. By stumps, he had sent down 17 overs, finishing with 1/55-encouraging numbers considering his careful return.

Over the course of the match, Shami's impact was limited. He ended North Zone's first innings with figures of 1/100 from 23 overs and bowled 11 overs in the second innings. However, his absence from the field in the final session of day three, despite being in playing gear earlier, raised questions about his physical readiness.

Though the solitary wicket did little justice to his efforts, Shami's varying speeds, probing lines, and occasional bursts of rhythm hinted at his gradual re-adaptation to the demands of four-day cricket. Still, the way he was handled-and the overs he skipped-suggest the management is keeping a close eye on his fitness before he takes on heavier workloads.