East Zone's captain Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo) At 36, Mohammed Shami may be closer to the twilight of his career than its peak, but his desire to return to India colours remains as strong as ever.

Shami, who has 903 wickets from 100 first-class matches, produced a match-winning spell in the semifinal against Central Zone in Bengaluru.

“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. “I feel age is just a number.

If he is working hard it doesn't matter. “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.

“He also finished with two boundaries, so he is an all-rounder I feel nowadays.

East Zone eye first Duleep Trophy title in 13 yearsEast Zone will take on South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final from Sunday, with a chance to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

East Zone defeated Central Zone in the semifinal to reach the final after 13 years.

South Zone, meanwhile, are among the most successful teams in the competition, having won the title 12 times, with their most recent triumph coming in 2023.

T20I specialists Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have also been cleared by the BCCI to feature despite India's upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning September 13.

Tilak will captain South Zone, while Kishan will lead East Zone, with Sooryavanshi serving as his deputy.