Ishan Kishan praises Mohammed Shami's hunger ahead of Duleep Trophy final

At 36, Mohammed Shami may be closer to the twilight of his career than its peak, but his desire to return to India colours remains as strong as ever. That is the belief of East Zone captain Ishan Kishan, who has seen 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 semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru.

For Kishan, however, it is not just Shami's performances that stand out, it is the hunger behind them. “I think he is just one of the best. He has been a legend of this game. He has been doing so well since he started playing for Bengal. He has been picking wickets, giving all his energy and he has done so well for the Indian cricket team also,” Kishan said at the pre-match press conference.

While Shami is nearing the latter stages 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. If he is working hard it doesn't matter. I see that hunger in Shami bhai because who better than me to judge about hunger right now,” Kishan said, referring to his own period away from the Indian team. “Looking at his efforts as a captain, I felt very nice, because Shami bhai came in, asking me for those extra overs to get the wickets. This is something which always gives confidence to skippers. When you have bowlers who are willing to get you wickets, it's always good to have him in the team,” Kishan said.

Shami even chipped in with the bat, striking two boundaries, prompting Kishan to jokingly label him an all-rounder. “He also finished with two boundaries, so he is an all-rounder I feel nowadays. So I am very happy to have him in my team,” he added.

East Zone will take on South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final from Sunday, with a chance to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since the 2012-13 season. East Zone defeated Central Zone in the semifinal to reach the final after 13 years. Their last title came in 2012-13, when they beat 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 most recent triumph coming in 2023. The final at Chepauk will also bring several India internationals and current white-ball stars together before the focus shifts to international cricket.

Mohammed Siraj and Devdutt Padikkal have joined South Zone after featuring in India's recent 1-0 Test series victory 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 feature despite India's upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning September 13. Tilak will captain South Zone, while Kishan will lead East Zone, with Sooryavanshi serving as his deputy.