File Pic: Mohammed Shami and Sourav Ganguly (ANI photo)

NEW DELHI: Mohammed Shami is set to enter an elite club on Sunday when he makes his 100th first-class appearance in the Duleep Trophy final, and former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes the milestone is a fitting reward for the veteran pacer’s remarkable longevity and contribution to Indian cricket.Shami will turn out for East Zone against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with the occasion marking another significant chapter in a first-class career that has already produced 382 wickets from 99 matches. His best innings figures are 8/90.Ganguly, who played alongside Shami during the early stages of the pacer’s career, congratulated him on the landmark and highlighted the difficulty of sustaining a career as a fast bowler in the subcontinent."Dear Shami, congratulations on achieving this amazing feat - 100 first-class matches. As a fast bowler in the subcontinent, it's a remarkable achievement. I've seen you grow; I've played with you. It was the early stages of your career and the end of my international career. I always knew there was talent, but I'm extremely happy that you've used that talent to go this distance," Ganguly said in a video posted by CAB on Facebook.Ganguly also backed Shami to cap the milestone occasion with a Duleep Trophy title."And I enjoy the games. You're playing the Duleep Trophy final - it will be an icing on the cake if you win it. Your performances over the years have been fantastic, especially in Test cricket. You know, when fast bowlers shy away from playing Test cricket, you have a day-in, day-out run-in for India. Heartiest congratulations once again from my side and everyone at the Cricket Association of Bengal and the state of West Bengal. You know, it's a fabulous achievement. Enjoy the game and hope to see you soon," he added.

Shami’s milestone comes amid India comeback bid

The landmark comes at a particularly interesting stage of Shami’s career. The 36-year-old remains outside India’s current setup but has continued to play domestic cricket as he looks to maintain his fitness and put himself in contention for another international recall. He last played for India in the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.Shami has made a strong impact in the Duleep Trophy. After going wicketless in East Zone’s opening match, he bounced back against defending champions Central Zone in the semi-final, taking five wickets across two innings as East secured a four-wicket victory and reached the final.

‘Age is just a number’, says Kishan

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan has been equally impressed by Shami’s determination and believes age should not stand in the way of the veteran’s ambitions.“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. 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.“I feel age is just a number. If he is working hard it doesn't matter. I see that hunger in Shami bhai because who better than me to judge about hunger right now,” Kishan said, referring to his own period away from the Indian team.That hunger was visible during the semi-final, when Shami asked for additional overs in his pursuit of wickets.“Looking at his efforts as a captain, I felt very nice, because Shami bhai came in, asking me for those extra overs to get the wickets. This is something which always gives confidence to skippers. When you have bowlers who are willing to get you wickets, it's always good to have him in the team,” Kishan said.Shami even contributed with the bat, hitting two boundaries and prompting a light-hearted verdict from his captain.“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.