Mohammed Shami lets the ball do the talking; another fifer in the Ranji Trophy piles pressure on Ajit Agarkar

Mohammed Shami returned with figures of 5/38 as Bengal defeated Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy on Tuesday.

Mohammed Shami, the experienced pacer who currently finds himself out of the picture in international cricket for India, is letting the ball do all the talking as he continues to pile pressure on the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, and the rest of the committee. On Tuesday, the 35-year-old returned with figures of 5/38 as Bengal defeated Gujarat by 141 runs in the Ranji Trophy at the Eden Gardens. Shami had previously taken three wickets in the first innings as well.

Mohammed Shami returned with figures of 5/38 (PTI)

The senior right-arm pacer had previously returned with seven wickets in Bengal's Ranji Trophy tie against Uttarakhand, and as a result of these performances, Shami has taken 15 wickets in just two matches.

These wickets come as a testament to Shami's class, and it now needs to be seen whether he is rewarded with a place in India's squad for the two-Test series against South Africa, beginning November 14 in Kolkata.

Shami has fallen out of favour with the current management, as there has been a lot of back-and-forth between him and chief selector Agarkar. He was recently left out of India A's squad for the multi-day matches against South Africa A.

The pacer last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. There has been scepticism about Shami's fitness, but the pacer put all fears to rest by turning up for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy.

As the tensions between Shami and Agarkar remain, the former was seen having a lengthy chat with RP Singh, the newest member of the selection committee, on Sunday.

Shami and Agarkar at loggerheads

When India's squad for the Tests against West Indies was announced, Agarkar stated that Shami had not played enough cricket. He was then also overlooked for the ODI series against Australia, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their international return.

However, things heated up when Shami fired back at Agarkar, saying it is not his job to provide a fitness update to the selectors, as the duty lies with the Centre of Excellence.

"About giving an update, it's not my responsibility to give an update or ask for an update. It's not my job to give updates on my fitness. My job is to attend the NCA (Centre of Excellence), prepare, and play matches. Woh unki baat hai unko kaun update deta hai, kisne nahin diya (That's their matter who gives them updates or not). It's not my responsibility," an angry Shami said.

Agarkar then responded to the statement, saying Shami was overlooked for the ODIs against Australia because he wasn't fit. However, the pacer fired back once again, saying, "Let him say whatever he wants. You’ve seen how I bowled. It’s all in front of your eyes.”