Mohammed Shami Stars as Bengal Clinches Thrilling Victory in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Mohammed Shami's stellar performance with both bat and ball guided Bengal to a narrow three-run win over Chandigarh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His late cameo set a competitive total, while Sayan Ghosh's crucial wickets sealed Bengal's spot in the quarter-finals.

Mohammed Shami emerged as the hero for Bengal in a nail-biting Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy encounter against Chandigarh. The thrilling match, held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, saw Bengal advance to the quarter-finals after clinching a narrow three-run victory. Shami's all-round brilliance was pivotal in this success.

After coming in at number 10, Shami's rapid unbeaten knock of 32 runs lifted Bengal to 159/9, a respectful total in the contest. His innings, laced with three boundaries and two towering sixes, was the highest score of his T20 career. Crucially, it was supported by robust contributions from Karan Lal, Writtick Chatterjee, and Pradipta Pramanik.

On the bowling front, Shami's early strikes rattled Chandigarh, including sending Arslan Khan back for a golden duck. The game went down to the wire, but Sayan Ghosh held his nerve in the final over, claiming two wickets to secure the victory. Shami's performance could pave the way for a call-up to India's squad for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Following a disappointing defeat against Australia, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma suggested Shami might be considered for inclusion.

(With inputs from agencies.)