Mohammad Shami remains driven to earn an international recall and reach the next level of his career despite a prolonged absence from the Indian cricket team.
Shami has been completely sidelined ever since the Champions Trophy 2025, while his last Test appearance was the WTC final in 2023.
The veteran pacer recently helped East Zone secure the Duleep Trophy title against South Zone on the basis of a first-innings lead in Chennai.
"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, as quoted by PTI.
The match marked his 100th first-class appearance. He picked up key wickets of Ravichandran Smaran and Sheikh Rasheed in the title clash, helped East Zone wrap their rival's first innings for 336 and gain a match-defining lead of 372 runs.
"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," Shami stated.
Shami maintained that wearing the team badge naturally fuels his hunger and willingness to fight on the field, regardless of the level of competition.
"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, I want to make it count and fulfil my responsibility toward the team," Shami said.
He thoroughly enjoyed guiding young talents in the inter-zonal red-ball tournament, specifically mentioning teammate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose age matches the length of Shami's career.
"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 believes modern youth gain early maturity through high-pressure tournaments like the IPL, meaning they do not need constant instruction. He saves his guidance for tight, challenging situations where tactical adjustments and mental reminders matter most.
"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.
Shami relied on sticking to basics to get success in the humid Chennai heat during the Duleep Trophy final.
"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.
Shami also explained his tactical setup to dismiss South Zone batter Rasheed. "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 remarked.
Shami might be at the twilight of his India career, but the struggle of India’s fast bowling depth in recent times has prompted fans to recollect the 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 concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
