Shami: Raring to go once more in his landmark 100th First Class game

Come Sunday, Mohammed Shami – the elder statesman among India’s active pace bowlers – will be chugging in for his milestone 100^th First Class match in the Duleep Trophy final at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. All eyes will be rivetted at the red ball contest between East Zone and South Zone with a generous sprinkling of some of the most exciting young talents and plenty of context.

The curious case of Shami, who turned 36 on Thursday, has continued to haunt Indian cricket fans and experts alike at a time when the veteran paceman could have been used albeit on a rotational basis across the red ball and ODI formats. The last time he donned the India blue was in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, where he emerged as the highest wicket taker with nine scalps.

During the 2025-26 domestic season, Shami had dispelled all doubts around his fitness and ability to bowl longer spells – opening up speculation more than once ahead of team selections only to be met with disappointment. East Zone skipper Ishan Kishan, however, made it clear that they would be banking on the veteran to give early breakthroughs against a strong South batting line-up – marshalled by the likes of in-form Devdutt Padikkal and Tilak Verma.

Speaking at the pre-match media interaction on Saturday, Ishan said: ‘’It’s hard to say when it comes to age, I feel age is just a number. If he is working hard, it doesn’t matter. I see that hunger in Shami bhai because who better than me to judge about the hunger now. He has been doing so well, especially having him in our team gives us a bit more confidence.’’

Meanwhile, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) treasurer Sanjoy Das flew down to Chennai to felicitate the world class performer on the eve of his landmark 100^th First Class game on Saturday. The CAB officebearer presented Shami with a plaque, a ball signed by the former India captain and CAB president Sourav Ganguly while his teammates handed him a No.100 testimonial shirt.

In a written message to Shami, Ganguly said: “You don’t play finals to participate; you play them to win. Play aggressive, play for each other, and make the East Zone proud. Bring the Duleep Trophy home, boys! Best of Luck’’. TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) secretary, U. Bhagwandas Rao, also felicitated Shami on the occasion.