India pacer Mohammed Shami featured in Bengal’s pre-quarterfinal clash against Chandigarh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) on Monday, December 9, at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Known for his ability to contribute with the bat lower down the order, Shami, who has two Test half-centuries against England, has often stepped up with crucial cameos. In this match, Bengal found themselves struggling at 114/8 following Kanishk Seth’s dismissal.
Shami struck a boundary on his fifth ball and built a vital partnership with Pradipta Pramanik to stabilize the innings. In the final over, Mohammed Shami faced Chandigarh and Rajasthan Royals pacer Sandeep Sharma.
The 34-year-old hammered 19 runs, including two sixes and a four. Shami scored a quickfire 32 off 17 balls, emerging as Bengal’s second-highest scorer and boosting their total to 159/9 in 20 overs. You can watch the video here:
Bengal have set a target of 160 in front of Chandigarh 🎯
Mohd. Shami provides a crucial late surge with 32*(17)
Karan Lal top-scored with 33 (25)
Jagjit Singh Sandhu was the pick of the Chandigarh bowlers with 4/21#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/u42rkbUfTJ pic.twitter.com/gQ32b5V9LN
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 9, 2024
Shami has been out of international action since the 2023 World Cup final, recently making his return to senior cricket through the domestic circuit. Meanwhile, India has felt his absence in Australia, struggling with a noticeable dip in quality when Bumrah is not bowling.
While Bumrah was named Player of the Match in India’s first Test win in Perth, they suffered a heavy 10-wicket defeat in the second Test. In the pink-ball Test’s first innings, both Bumrah and Siraj claimed four wickets, with Bumrah maintaining an economy of 2.65 compared to Siraj’s 4.
Bengal starts strong in their defence of 160 runs in the SMAT 2024-25 pre-quarterfinal
Bengal made a strong start by removing Chandigarh opener Arsalan Khan (0 off 1) and Shivam Bhambri (14 off 10) early. Mohammed Shami and Sayan Ghosh claimed the wickets for Bengal.
Earlier, Jagjit Singh’s impressive 4/21 helped Chandigarh limit Bengal to 159/9. Raj Angad Bawa chipped in with 2/27, while Sandeep Sharma went wicketless, conceding 39 runs in his four overs.
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