Premier fast bowler Mohammad Shami is likely to feature in Bengal's next Ranji Trophy encounter against Kerala starting November 20, in order to fine-tune his preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

Picked in India's 18-man squad for the four-Tests series down under, Shami could very well give a huge boost to his state in the ongoing premier domestic first-class competitions' third round at the Eden Gardens.

“Shami has expressed his interest to play. If he plays, it’s good for the Bengal side,” confirmed Cricket Association of Bengal(CAB) President Sourav Ganguly, “We had written a letter before the first match as well to play him but he had few fitness issues for which he had to undergo rehabilitation. If he plays, it’s great.”

Shami, who was last seen playing the second ODI of the home tussle against West Indies, was rested for the remainder of the five-match series. He then visited his Bengal teammates on the sidelines of the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh on Monday, November 12.

Bengal have started off quite well in the tournament, clinching a draw with a first innings lead over Himachal Pradesh in the maiden round.

The first Test in Australia kickstarts at Adelaide from December 6.

(Inputs from PTI)