Mohammed Shami's comeback to cricket faces a setback as he has been excluded from Bengal's squad for the upcoming two Ranji Trophy 2024-25 matches. Despite his interest in playing Ranji matches prior to the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Shami was not considered by the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar for the five-Test series. Consequently, he will miss the games against Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla expressed hope that Shami would be available for the matches against Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, emphasizing his importance to the Indian team and the need for his presence in Australia. Shukla highlighted that Shami's participation in the Ranji Trophy would be beneficial for his performance against Australia, boosting Bengal's confidence as several key players are currently representing India and India A.

Shami, who last played during the ICC ODI World Cup final in 2023, underwent surgery to recover from an ankle injury earlier this year. His absence extended to the Indian Premier League 2024 and ICC T20 World Cup 2024, as well as the Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.