Star India pacer eyeing comeback after being selected for East Zone in Duleep Trophy

The 34-year-old Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has returned to red-ball cricket as he has been selected for the East Zone for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025-26.

The completed schedule of the Duleep Trophy 2025-26 has recently been released, where the two-time champions East Zone will start their journey in the tournament from their quarter-final match against North Zone, while the tournament will start on August 28. 

Ishan Kishan will lead East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy season. Meanwhile, the uncapped Indian top-order batter Abhimanyu Easwaran will play the vice-captain role of the team. 

[WATCH] Harry Brook smashes Siraj for Pant-Like six before rain stops play

Mohammed Shami returns to red-ball cricket

India's Bengal pacers Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep are all in the East Zone squad for the forthcoming Duleep Trophy season. While Shami played his last Test during the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final, his last red-ball cricket was last November. Last season, the right-arm fast bowler played only one Ranji Trophy match, as he was working to regain his fitness, which helped him return to white-ball cricket for India. He participated in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and finished as the joint second leading wicket-taker, while India won the title. 

Shami last played a professional match in the IPL 2025, where the right-arm fast bowler took six wickets in nine matches. Although Shami was picked for Shrachi Rath Tigers for the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025, he later pulled out his name from the tournament. 

Talking about the East Zone squad, Riyan Parag has also been selected, while the teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi is in the standbys. 

Duleep Trophy 2025-26: East Zone complete squad

Ishan Kishan (Captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Riyan Parag, Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami

Standbys: Mukhtar Hussain, Aasirwad Swain, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Swastik Samal, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Rahul Singh