In a dominant display of pace bowling, Mohammed Shami's five-wicket haul propelled Bengal to a commanding victory over Services in their Ranji Trophy Group C encounter in Kalyani on Saturday, January 24, 2026. The win significantly boosts Bengal's chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the prestigious domestic tournament.

Shami's fiery spell of 16-3-51-5 decimated the Services batting lineup, leaving them struggling at 231/8 after being forced to follow on. Services still trailed by 102 runs, highlighting Bengal's firm grip on the match. The veteran pacer's performance not only secured a crucial win for his team but also served as a timely reminder to the BCCI selectors of his capabilities, as he aims for a return to the Indian national side.

Bengal had earlier posted a formidable total of 519 in their first innings and then proceeded to bowl out Services for a mere 186, establishing a massive 333-run lead. Shami spearheaded the attack, claiming two wickets in the first innings to complement his five-wicket burst in the second. Suraj Jaiswal (4/51) and Akash Deep (3/50) were also instrumental in the first innings.

Shami made early inroads into the Services batting order by dismissing opener Shubham Rohilla for a duck and No. 3 Ravi Chauhan for eight. Later in the innings, he returned to dismantle the middle order, claiming the wickets of Rajat Paliwal (83), Vineet Dhankar (13), and Arjun Sharma (2) to complete his five-wicket haul. Mukesh Kumar also contributed with 2 wickets for 42 runs.

Bengal's victory was set up by a strong batting performance in their first innings. Sudip Chatterjee's impressive 209 coupled with Abhimanyu Easwaran's 81 had put Bengal in a commanding position. The duo's opening partnership of 151 runs put Services on the back foot from the start.

With this win, Bengal secures their place in the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy. Looking ahead, Bengal will aim to carry this momentum into the final group game.

In other Ranji Trophy news, Mumbai is also close to an outright win against Hyderabad in their Group D match.