‘Age is just a number’: Ishan Kishan believes ‘hungry’ Mohammed Shami is returning to India

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo) At 36, Mohammed Shami may be closer to the twilight of his career than its peak, but his desire to return to Indian colors remains as strong as ever. That’s the belief of East Zone captain Ishan Kishan, who saw first-hand the veteran pacer’s determination during their run to the Duleep Trophy final.Shami, who has 903 wickets from 100 first-class matches, produced a match-winning spell in the semi-final against Central Zone in Bengaluru. But for Kishan, it’s not just Shami’s performances that stand out, it’s the hunger behind them.“I think he’s just one of the best. He’s been a legend of the game. He’s been doing so well since he started playing for Bengal. He’s been picking wickets, giving all his energy and also doing so well for the Indian cricket team,” Kishan said at the pre-match press conference.As Shami nears the end of his career, Kishan believes age should not be a barrier if the pacer continues to maintain his work ethic and hunger.“I feel age is just a number. As long as he works hard, it doesn’t matter. I see that hunger in Shami bhai because who better than me to judge the hunger now,” said Kishan, referring to his own spell away from the Indian team.“When I look at his efforts as captain, I felt very good because Shami bhai came and asked me to play those extra overs to get wickets. This is something that always gives confidence to captains. When you have bowlers who are willing to get you wickets, it is always good to have him in the team,” said Kishan.Shami even made an impact with the bat and smashed two boundaries, prompting Kishan to jokingly call him an all-rounder.“He also finished with two boundaries so he is an all-rounder today. So I am very happy to have him in my team,” he added.

East Zone eye first Duleep Trophy title after 13 years

East Zone will take on South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final from Sunday and will have a chance to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Eastern Zone beat the Central Zone in the semi-finals to reach the final after 13 years. Their last title came in 2012-13 when they defeated Central Zone to win their second Duleep Trophy.South Zone, meanwhile, are among the most successful teams in the competition, having won the title 12 times, with their latest triumph coming in 2023. The Chepauk final will also bring together several Indian internationals and current white-ball stars before the focus shifts to international cricket.Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal have joined the south zone after featuring in India’s recent 1-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka, although KL Rahul is not expected to play the final.T20I specialists Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have also been cleared by the BCCI to play despite the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan starting on September 13. Tilak will captain the South Zone while Kishan will lead the East Zone with Sooryavanshi as his deputy.