New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANS) The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) felicitated India fast bowler Mohammed Shami ahead of his 100th First-class game as the veteran gears up to feature in the Duleep Trophy final for East Zone from Sunday onwards at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
CAB treasurer Sanjay Das presented Shami with a special No.100 jersey, which was signed by CAB President and former India captain Sourav Ganguly. He was also presented with a signed ball from Ganguly and a silver plaque, as the veteran also sliced the cake to mark the celebrations for the milestone.
“In the Duleep Trophy final at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, Mohammed Shami will be playing his milestone 100th first-class match,” CAB wrote in a caption to pictures from the ceremony.
“To mark this special occasion, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Treasurer Sanjay Das, on behalf of CAB President Sourav Ganguly, felicitated the veteran fast bowler in Chennai on Saturday. Das presented Shami with a special ‘No.100 Bengal jersey signed by Ganguly’, a special ball signed by the former India captain, along with a silver plaque,” the board added.
Meanwhile, Shami was also handed a jersey signed by his East Zone teammates as captain Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Mukesh Kumar were pictured with the 36-year-old speedster.
All of the East Zone team members also received a sweet box, which had a message from Ganguly. “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,” the message, as quoted by the CAB, read.
Earlier in the day, East captain Ishan hailed Shami’s motivation and hunger and emphasised that he still harbours a dream of an India return. “I feel age is just a number,” Ishan said on the eve of the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone.
“If he is working hard, it doesn’t matter – he has been doing so well. Having him in our team gives us a bit more confidence, when you have such bowlers in your team who can get you wickets and especially looking at Shami bhai this season, his intensity, his energy have been very different.
Ishan emphasised Shami’s motivation to play for the domestic sides despite not being in the scheme of things for the national selectors for now. “It has been three years since that [2023] World Cup [when he was in excellent form]; it is hard when you are not regularly playing for the Indian team and to again have that same kind of motivation for your domestic games; it is tough. But I feel I see that hunger in him because who better than me can judge about hunger right now?
“I think he has that hunger and that motivation right now. He wants to do that comeback; he wants to be part of the Indian squad again, and which you can see in him, when he is trying to help me, also when I’m leading the side… he is trying to come to me, give me options of what you can do right now,” he added.
