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Mohammed Shami hasn’t played for India since Match 2025, but the veteran fast bowler is still motivated to give his best and is eyeing the next level in his decorated career. Shami was part of the East Zone in their title-winning campaign in the Duldeep Trophy and kept the batters under pressure. His last Test match for India was the 2023 World Test Championship Final against Australia at the Oval in 2023.

“There are plenty of reasons to stay motivated. If you are not motivated, there is something wrong with your approach. No matter what stage you are competing in, you should aim for the next level,” Shami said after the Duleep Trophy final.

East Zone were declared winners on the basis of their first innings lead against South Zone. The 36-year-old dismissed Ravichandran Smaran and Sheikh Rasheed to put the rival team on the back foot in the title clash.

Tilak Varma’s South Zone were dismissed for 336, with East Zone taking a lead of 372 runs.

Shami was happy with East Zone’s success as the victory coincided with his 100th match in first-class cricket.

“Winning the Duleep Trophy in my 100th match is special, and I am satisfied. East Zone have clinched the trophy after a long time. You all saw how we performed in the game.

“Every single player gave their best in the campaign, leading to our win. To achieve this in testing conditions, because of the heat, is outstanding. For me, it doesn’t matter whether I am playing in my first game or the 100th, as the effort and the approach will remain the same,” he revealed.

Shami is always looking to play matches irrespective of the format or the level.

“When you wear the crest, the level doesn’t matter. If you play for the badge, you will be hungry to perform. Your willingness to perform grows when you play for the pride.

“I want to make it count in all the matches, and this is my mindset. It is my responsibility to give my best for the team.”

Shami loves helping the youngsters in the team.

“I love sharing my experience with the players. The kid (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) is as old as my career. He likes to joke around and enjoy himself in the middle.”

Shami is not in favour of giving too many suggestions to the young players as he feels they are already mature.

“Most of the youngsters are already mature. They feature in the IPL and other high-profile tournaments, which helps them mature, so you don’t need to over-coach them. But when the game gets tough, it becomes important to give them inputs and tell them to fight,” he said.

Shami stuck to the basics in the final of the Duleep Trophy.

“I am open to learning, and you don’t get much swing in such conditions, and even the bounce is low. In Bengaluru, the conditions are good for bowlers, but the situation was completely different in Chennai. So I stuck to my line and length, and this is how I try to take wickets. You can’t get reverse swing in heat,” he noted.

He planned the dismissal of Rasheed. “It was a different tactical battle in Chennai. When conditions are favouring you, it is important to execute your plans from the start. The test comes when conditions are not favouring you. You have to plan for wickets on tracks like these. The plan was keeping the ball away from Rasheed to trap him, and it worked in my favour.”

Shami is in the last phase of his career, and he is being backed and supported by fans.

“It is wonderful when you are loved and supported by fans. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported me. My job is to put in the hard work and leave the rest in the hands of God,” he concluded.