East Zone’s captain Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo)

East Zone’s captain Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo)

At 36, Mohammed Shami may be closer to the twilight of his career than its peak, but his desire to return to India colours remains as strong as ever. Shami, who has 903 wickets from 100 first-class matches, produced a match-winning spell in the semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru. That is the belief of East Zone captain Ishan Kishan , who has seen first-hand the veteran pacer’s determination during their run to the Duleep Trophy final. For Kishan, however, it is not just Shami’s performances that stand out, it is the hunger behind them.

Because who better than me to judge about hunger right now,” Kishan said, referring to his own period away from the Indian team, i see that hunger in Shami bhai. Because shami bhai came in, asking me for those extra overs to get the wickets, “Looking at his efforts as a captain, I felt very nice,.

He has been picking wickets, giving all his energy and he has done so well for the Indian cricket team also,” Kishan said at the pre-match press conference. When you have bowlers who are willing to get you wickets, it’s always good to have him in the team,” Kishan said. “I think he is just one of the best. He has been a legend of this game. He has been doing so well since he started playing for Bengal. “I feel age is just a number. If he is working hard it doesn’t matter. This is something which always gives confidence to skippers. “He also finished with two boundaries, so he is an all-rounder I feel nowadays. So I am very happy to have him in my team,” he added.