Shami embraces Duleep Trophy grind, says motivation remains high

Mohammed Shami said his motivation has not dipped despite being away from India duty since March 2025. After helping East Zone win the Duleep Trophy, the veteran pacer said he remains focused on improving and contributing at every opportunity

Chennai: Mohammed Shami has not played for India since March 2025, but the veteran pacer on Thursday asserted that his motivation level has not dipped and that he is still eyeing the “next level” in his career.

Shami’s last Test appearance was even further back, during the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in 2023.

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“There are plenty of reasons to stay motivated if you look for them. At this level, if you aren’t self-motivated, your approach is wrong. No matter what stage you’re playing at, your eyes must always be set on the next level,” Shami said after the Duleep Trophy final, in which East Zone defeated South Zone on the basis of a first-innings lead.

The 36-year-old took the important wickets of Ravichandran Smaran and Sheikh Rasheed to rock South Zone’s middle order in the title clash here.

It helped East Zone wrap up their rivals’ first innings for 336 and gain a match-defining lead of 372 runs.

Shami was delighted that East Zone’s title win coincided with his 100th first-class game.

“As far as satisfaction goes, achieving this in my 100th match — and that too in a winning Duleep Trophy final — is special. East Zone has won this after a very long time. You’ve seen how we performed.

“Every single boy put his heart and soul into this campaign to get us here. To achieve this in these conditions, in this heat, is outstanding. As for me, whether it’s your first match or your 100th, it doesn’t matter — the effort and the approach remain exactly the same,” he said.

But how does he find the grind in domestic cricket after spending well over a decade in top-flight cricket?

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

“My mindset is simple: whichever level I get an opportunity to play at, I want to make it count and fulfil my responsibility towards the team,” he said.

One of those responsibilities is to mentor the younger members of the squad, and Shami enjoyed it too.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it. The kid in our team (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) is literally as old as my career. He has that youthful innocence, loves to joke around and absorbs things quickly.”

Shami cautioned against meddling with young players’ thoughts and games as they come up with a certain level of maturity.

“But most of these youngsters are already quite mature. With the level of cricket they play today — featuring in the IPL and other high-pressure tournaments — maturity comes early, so you don’t need to over-coach them.

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

Playing the Duleep Trophy final in the oppressively humid Chennai conditions would have been a massive challenge for a fast bowler, particularly at his age.

But Shami said sticking to his basics helped him reap success.

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

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

That ability to plan meticulously helped the Bengal pacer dismiss Rasheed with a curving delivery that stuck on the right-hander’s pads.

“In conditions like this, it turns into a completely different tactical battle. When conditions are in your favour, executing plans is straightforward. The real test is when conditions don’t suit you, and that’s when your skill is tested in its purest form.

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

Shami is certainly in the last phase of his career. But the general struggle of Indian quicks in the last couple of months has prompted fans to recollect Shami’s sharpness fondly.

“It feels wonderful 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.