Duleep Trophy final: CAB to felicitate Shami for 100th First-Class match

CHENNAI: Cricket Association of Bengal will felicitate speedster Mohammed Shami ahead of the Duleep Trophy final here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Saturday. The final between East Zone and South Zone will begin on Sunday and the match will be Shami's 100th First-Class match. "The CAB will present him with a ball and a jersey signed by our president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly," Sanjay Das, CAB treasurer, told this daily. "Our president has also written a message for Shami on the ball and jersey," added Das.

The pacer, who was born in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh but plays for Bengal in domestic cricket, has claimed 382 wickets from 99 FC matches so far at an average of 26.30 and a strike rate of 48.7. Shami, who turned 36 on Thursday, has been attempting to make a comeback to the national side since last year. He last donned India jersey in their ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March 2025. He last played a Test match for India in June 2023 against Australia while his last T20I came on February 2 2025 against England.

Shami claimed 37 wickets from seven matches in the previous Ranji season (2025-26) including three five-wicket hauls. The pacer went wicketless in East Zone's first match against North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy but roared back to form claiming five wickets in two innings against defending champions Central Zone in the semifinal.