Mohammed Shami felicitated ahead of landmark 100th first-class match

The Cricket Association of Bengal held a felicitation ceremony for Mohammed Shami in Chennai on September 5, 2026, the day before the Duleep Trophy final. The occasion marked his impending 100th first-class appearance, a milestone he will reach when East Zone take on South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on September 6.

CAB Treasurer Sanjoy Das conducted the ceremony, with East Zone captain Ishan Kishan and several teammates present. CAB presented Shami with a silver salver, a special jersey carrying his name and the number 100 on the back, and a cricket ball signed by CAB president Sourav Ganguly.

“Shami is the pride of Bengal and a legend. This is a small gesture on behalf of CAB on reaching an important landmark,” said Das as quoted by News18.

Shami’s first-class record heading into the milestone

Heading into the final, Shami has played 99 first-class matches and taken 382 wickets, including 15 five-wicket hauls. His career-best first-class figures stand at 8 for 90. When he steps onto the field on September 6, he will become only the sixth Indian bowler to appear in 100 first-class matches. The five ahead of him are Anil Kumble with 234 matches, Kapil Dev with 184, Javagal Srinath with 161, Harbhajan Singh with 147 and Zaheer Khan with 134.

Across all formats combined, Shami has accumulated 900 wickets in his career, which also includes 283 wickets in 149 List A matches and 238 wickets in 196 T20 games.

Shami’s international status and the upcoming final

Shami played a direct role in East Zone reaching the final. In the semi-final against defending champions Central Zone, he claimed 2 wickets in the first innings and 3 in the second, helping his side advance to the summit clash.

The 35-year-old last featured in international cricket during the Champions Trophy final in March 2025 and was not included in India’s squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has stated that Shami is not considered fit for the longest format at present, despite his first-class appearances for Bengal. Former players have questioned his omission and called for his return to the national setup.

The Duleep Trophy final between East Zone and South Zone is scheduled to begin on September 6, 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.