Mohammed Shami is still hungry for the next level despite India’s long absence

Mohammed Shami may have been away from international cricket for more than a year, but there was no sign of the veteran pacer losing his edge in the Chennai heat. The 36-year-old Bengal fast bowler took two wickets in the Duleep Trophy final and spoke of the hunger that continues to fuel his career after helping East Zone secure the title.

For Shami, the motivation hasn’t changed with the level of cricket or the stage of his career. Whether he is playing for India or in domestic cricket, the veteran pacer believes that the next challenge is always worth chasing.

“There are plenty of reasons to stay motivated if you look for them. At this level, if you are not self-motivated, your attitude is wrong. No matter what stage you are playing, your eyes must always be on the next level,” Shami said after the Duleep Trophy final in East Zone against South Zone in Chennai on Thursday.

Shami has not played for India since March 2025, while his last Test appearance came much earlier, in the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in 2023. Yet his performance in Chennai showed that he remains fully invested in the game.

The Bengal fast bowler picked up the important wickets of Ravichandran Smaran and Sheikh Rasheed as South Zone were bowled out for 336 in their first innings. East Zone took a massive lead of 372 runs and eventually clinched the Duleep Trophy based on their first innings advantage.

The win was particularly memorable for Shami as it came in his 100th first-class match.

“In terms of satisfaction, to achieve this in my 100th game – and also in a winning Duleep Trophy final – is special. East Zone won it after a very long time. You saw how we performed.”

“Every single lad has put their heart and soul into this campaign to get us here. To achieve it in these conditions, in this heat, is outstanding. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first game or your 100th – the effort and the approach remains exactly the same,” he said.

For a player who spent more than a decade at the highest level, domestic cricket could easily have felt like a step down. However, Shami doesn’t see it that way.

For him, wearing the team colors brings the same sense of responsibility, regardless of the competition.

“When you wear that crest on your chest, the level of cricket doesn’t matter. If you’re playing for a badge, that hunger naturally comes through. Your willingness to fight only grows when you play with that pride.”

“My mindset is simple: at whatever level I get an opportunity to play, I want to make it count and fulfill my responsibility to the team,” Shami said.

The Duleep Trophy campaign also gave Shami an opportunity to spend time with the younger members of the East Zone team. Among them was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a teenage batsman who had already made his presence felt in the IPL.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it. The guy in our team (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) is literally as old as my career. He has a youthful innocence, likes to crack jokes and absorbs things quickly,” Shami said.

The seasoned pacer doesn’t believe young people should be burdened with advice. In his view, the amount of high-pressure cricket they are exposed to at a young age means many of them develop a level of maturity much earlier.

“However, most of these youngsters are already quite mature. With the level of cricket they are playing today – playing in the IPL and other high-stakes tournaments – maturity comes early, so you don’t have to overtrain them.

“But yes, when the game is tight and challenging, that’s when you step in with tactical inputs and remind them to keep fighting,” he said.

SHAMI FINDS WAY IN CHENNAI TEPL

The conditions in Chennai tested Shami and other fast bowlers throughout the final. The heat and humidity were unrelenting, while the course offered little conventional swing and bounce remained low.

Shami had already experienced bowler-friendly conditions in Bengaluru during the tournament, so the change in conditions was even more noticeable.

“I’m always learning. In conditions like these, you can’t expect much conventional swing and the bounce was quite low. In Bengaluru, the conditions were much more bowler-friendly, so coming here was a stark contrast.

“So my approach was strictly about keeping my line and length, and that’s where I try to create wickets. And honestly, if you can’t use the backswing in this kind of heat, what’s the point?” he said.

One of Shami’s wickets, Rasheed, came after the pacer patiently worked his way through the plan. He kept taking the ball away from the right-hander before finally lashing it back and trapping him in front.

Shami said it is this kind of tactical battle that makes bowling challenging when the conditions offer little help.

“In conditions like this, it becomes a completely different tactical battle. When the conditions are in your favor, executing plans is straightforward. The real test is when the conditions are not in your favor, and that’s when your skills are tested at their purest.

“Wickets don’t just happen out of the blue, especially on tracks like these. The plan was to keep taking the ball away from him (Rasheed), build that anticipation and then bring one back sharply to trap him. That’s exactly how it unfolded,” he added.

Shami is now in the latter stages of his career, but his performance in the Duleep Trophy final was another reminder of the experience he can bring to the attack.

His absence from the Indian team has remained a moot point, especially with fans still remembering his ability to produce wickets even when the conditions are not in favor of the fast bowlers.

With the Indian fast bowlers going through a tough time in recent months, Shami’s performances inevitably brought more attention to his international prospects.

However, the stimulator leaves this decision out of his control. They focus on hard work and making every opportunity count.

“It feels amazing to receive so much love and support. I am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported me along the way.

“My job is simply to put in the hard work – the rest is in the hands of the Almighty,” he signed off.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

10 Sep 2026 17:19 IST