‘Intensity, energy is different’: Ishan sees ‘hunger and motivation’ in Shami for India return
Chennai: Despite being away from the International team, Ishan Kishan sees the “hunger and motivation” in veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami in his bid for an India comeback after repeated strong performances in the domestic circuit.
Shami has not played an international game since India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win in early 2025 and has not been picked in any squads despite turning up and performing in the domestic arena across formats.
However, Ishan, who is leading Shami in the Duleep Trophy for East Zone, can see the “intensity and energy” in the 36-year-old, stating that the veteran still keeps an India return in his wish list. “I feel age is just a number,” Ishan said on the eve of the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone.
“If he is working hard, it doesn’t matter – he has been doing so well. Having him in our team, it gives us a bit more confidence when you have such bowlers in your team who can get you wickets and especially looking at Shami bhai this season, his intensity, his energy has been very different.
Ishan emphasised Shami’s motivation to play for the domestic sides despite not being in the scheme of things for the national selectors for now. “It has been three years since that (2023) World Cup (when he was in excellent form); it is hard when you are not regularly playing for Indian team and to again have that same kind of motivation for your domestic games, it is tough. But I feel I see that hunger in him because who better than me can judge about hunger right now?
“I think he has that hunger and that motivation right now. He wants to do that comeback; he wants to be part of the Indian squad again, and which you can see it in him when he is trying to help me, also when I’m leading the side… he is trying to come to me, give me options of what you can do right now,” he added.
Shami has been prolific in the domestic arena. He picked 37 wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 at an average of 16.72 and was the second-highest wicket-taker for Bengal. In the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a T20 tournament, Shami was Bengal’s leading wicket-taker, with 16 scalps in seven innings, and he was also the highest wicket-taker for his state in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, a 50-over tournament, where he took 15 wickets in seven innings.
