Photo via Hindustan Times

Mohammed Shami keeps it real about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after Duleep Trophy triumph: ‘He’s as old as my cricket career'

Under the leadership of Ishan Kishan, East Zone secured the Duleep Trophy crown by edging past South Zone courtesy of an opening-innings advantage, securing their third championship overall and ending a 13-year drought. The contest marked Mohammed Shami's 100th appearance in first-class cricket, having debuted against Assam on November 17, 2010.

Despite unhelpful surface conditions and sweltering weather, the veteran seamer claimed the dismissals of Shaik Rasheed and Smaran Ravichandran during the decider. Shami highlighted the group's collective determination across the tournament and reflected fondly on guiding 15-year-old opening batter Vaibhav , who entered the world on March 27, 2011, roughly four months after Shami's red-ball journey began.