Mohammed Shami's return to First-Class cricket was in focus this week as he turned out for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy.
Playing his first red-ball match since November 2024, the experienced pacer showed flashes of rhythm but also raised concerns with a fresh injury scare during the quarter-final against North Zone in Bengaluru.
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Mohammed Shami's Duleep Trophy performance
Shami began cautiously on the opening day - working his way into long-form cricket after nearly nine months away. His early spells were steady rather than threatening - with figures of 5-2-10-0 and 3-0-10-0 before lunch.
Post the interval, he found better rhythm - hitting fuller lengths and occasionally troubling batters with in-dippers. The 34-year-old eventually took his first and only wicket of the game - dismissing Sahil Lotra with an edge outside off.
He bowled a total of 23 overs across both innings - returning with figures of 1/100. Although not at his best, the outing offered him match time ahead of bigger assignments.
Injury scare during the match
Shami did not take the field in the final session of the third day - sparking immediate speculation about another setback.
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East Zone skipper Riyan Parag later clarified that the pacer had rolled his toe after one of his spikes dug in - describing it as a "minor issue" and stressing it was more precautionary than serious.
Shami has already missed the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England due to workload management concerns. With a home Test series against the West Indies approaching, selectors will be closely monitoring his recovery and match fitness.
India will need him fully fit but given his history of injuries, every small setback naturally draws extra attention.