Mohammed Shami expressed his disappointment with the pitch at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground in Kalyani despite claiming an impressive four-wicket haul during Bengal’s opening match of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season against Delhi. The experienced India pacer felt the surface offered limited assistance to fast bowlers, particularly considering the strength of Bengal’s pace attack.
Bengal bowled Delhi out for 240 on the opening day, with Shami leading the attack alongside Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep. However, the veteran pacer believed the pitch should have provided more movement and bounce to help the team’s fast bowlers make a greater impact.
Speaking after the day’s play, Mohammed Shami described the surface as slow and revealed that Bengal had requested a more helpful wicket ahead of the match. “It didn’t seem like a good wicket. It was a bit on the slower side. We had assessed it and also asked for a slightly more helpful wicket. The way Akash is playing, the way Mukesh is playing… no one in India has such a fast-bowling attack,” Shami said.
ALSO READ: Abhishek Sharma Reveals How He Makes Ishan Kishan Laugh To Ease Batting Pressure
The right-arm pacer further explained that Bengal were not demanding an excessively green pitch but wanted conditions that would reward their fast-bowling strength.
Shami via mouth 🗣️ — “I’ve been performing and have proved my fitness for Bengal. If I don’t get the chance to play for India again, it’s not my loss.” 🔥
Shami with the ball — 17.3-9-30-4. 🔥
Bro’s cooking on & off the field. 🥶 https://t.co/tuR4H4tVfT
— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) October 12, 2026
Shami stressed that a surface offering some assistance would allow the likes of Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep to make better use of their skills. He also suggested that the team might stop requesting more favourable conditions after repeatedly raising the issue. “Now, let it be. There should be more grass on the pitch. It shouldn’t be less,” he added.
Mohammed Shami clarified that his concern was not about receiving a tailor-made surface but about getting conditions suited to the team’s bowling resources. He also noted that it felt unusual for a team with such a strong pace attack to play on a surface offering limited assistance.
ALSO READ: Sai Sudharsan Suffers Injury Scare During Ranji Trophy Match, Team India Monitoring Fitness
The BCCI oversees Ranji Trophy pitch preparation through neutral curators, who work with local ground staff to maintain fair playing conditions. Shami’s comments have once again highlighted the importance of balanced pitches in India’s premier domestic first-class competition.
