Shami Plays 100th First-Class Match, Still Frozen Out of India Squad
· Sports · Indian Express, NDTV Sports
Mohammed Shami will play his 100th first-class match when East Zone face South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. It has been 545 days since Shami last played for India and 1,182 days since his last Test appearance, even as he has continued taking wickets in the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy across different venues. East Zone captain Ishan Kishan said the 36-year-old pacer repeatedly asked for the ball himself during the quarterfinal against North East Zone and the semifinal against Central Zone, refusing to sulk over his exclusion from the national squad. Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun said Shami simply loves bowling and would mark his run-up with any ball in hand, recalling how he often could not be stopped once he started. The Duleep Trophy final offers Shami another stage to keep pressing his case with selectors ahead of India's upcoming red-ball commitments.
Why it matters
With India due to play Test cricket later this year, Shami's sustained county-style workload in domestic cricket keeps him in selection contention despite his long absence, raising a direct question for selectors about whether form in the Ranji and Duleep Trophies can outweigh time out of the Indian dressing room.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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