Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep named as Bengal announce Ranji Trophy squad

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has announced a strong squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, which begins on October 15. Leading the side will be Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was part of India’s squads for the tours of Australia and England but did not make it into the playing XI. He is expected to once again work hard and push for a place in the national team. Notably, Easwaran was among the players dropped from the squad for the ongoing two-match series against the West Indies.

Joining Easwaran in the leadership group is the talented wicketkeeper-batsman Abishek Porel, who has been named vice-captain. Bengal’s bowling lineup will gain significant strength with the inclusion of India’s pace duo Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, adding both experience and firepower to the attack.

Shami’s recent absence from the national team has sparked many questions. When asked about it, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said he had no updates on Shami’s status across formats. Meanwhile, Akash Deep featured in the squad for the England series and performed well, but was dropped ahead of the West Indies tour. Both players will now be eager to use the Ranji Trophy platform to prove their worth and fight their way back into the national setup.

Meanwhile, the batting unit



will rely on seasoned campaigners Anustup Majumdar and Sudip Chatterjee, alongside promising young talent Sudip Kumar Gharami, who are expected to contribute heavily to the team’s run tally. Emerging players Rahul Prasad, Saurabh Kumar Singh, and Vishal Bhati also feature in the squad, showcasing the blend of youth and experience Bengal is banking on.

The coaching staff remains unchanged, with Laxmi Ratan Shukla continuing as the head coach. He will be supported by assistants Arup Bhattacharjee and Shib Shankar Paul, while Charanjit Singh Matharu returns as the fielding coach, focusing on sharpening the team’s fielding skills.

Bengal has been placed in Elite Group C, alongside teams like Gujarat, Haryana, Services, Railways, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Assam. The team will kick off their campaign with a home match against Uttarakhand at the iconic Eden Gardens on October 15. They will then host Gujarat on October 25 in their second fixture.

Bengal Squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Abishek Porel (vice-captain/wk), Sudip Kumar Gharami, Anustup Majumdar, Sudip Chatterjee, Sumanta Gupta, Saurabh Kumar Singh, Vishal Bhati, Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Shakir Habib Gandhi (wk), Ishan Porel, Kazi Junaid Saifi, Rahul Prasad, Sumit Mohanta and Vikash Singh