Shami's 4-30 stars on Ranji Trophy's opening day, puts selectors on notice
Mohammed Shami delivered a timely reminder to national selectors on Sunday, October 11, claiming 4 wickets for 30 runs in 17.3 overs — including nine maidens — as Bengal bowled Delhi out for 240 in their Ranji Trophy Group C opener at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani.
Shami, repeatedly overlooked for national duty despite sustained domestic form, was at his clinical best at a miserly economy of 1.70, underlining the debate around his continued omission from India squads.
It was the headline act of a bumper opening day for India's premier domestic competition: Ravichandran Smaran announced himself as Karnataka's new captain with a debut 126 against Andhra, while centuries from Rinku Singh, Yash Rathod and Akshay Wadkar and fifties from Ravindra Jadeja lit up scoreboards across the country — even as KL Rahul (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) failed.
