Despite being outside the selectors’ immediate plans, the veteran continued to make his case, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taking pacer in last season’s Ranji Trophy, with 37 wickets across 231 overs, averaging 16.72, with three five-wicket hauls. With multiple selectors watching him across the Duleep Trophy, Shami kept that fire in his belly going, taking seven wickets.

"I always say this: you play for the badge. When you wear that crest on your chest, the level of cricket doesn't matter,” Shami told the reporters after East Zone lifted its first Duleep Trophy title in over a decade.

“If you play for the badge, that hunger will naturally show. Your willingness to fight only grows when you play with that pride. My mindset is simple: whichever level I get an opportunity to play, I want to make it count and fulfil my responsibility toward the team."

The proposition here at Chepauk was unique for Shami; it was his 100th first-class appearance, and his first Duleep Trophy final appearance for East Zone since 2012 when he was just 22 and still making a name for himself in the Indian setup.

“As far as satisfaction goes, achieving this in my 100th match — and that too in a winning Duleep Trophy final — is special. East Zone has won this after a very long time. I think the last time we won back-to-back titles, I was part of that squad as well,” the pacer said.

“To achieve this in these conditions, in this heat, is outstanding. A massive well done to all the boys, and the support staff contributed immensely. As for me, whether it’s your first match or your 100th, it doesn’t matter — the effort and the approach remain the same."

Despite bowling over 30,000 deliveries across his red-ball career, the experienced pacer kept insisting that bowling is a constant ‘learning curve’ for him, and aspires to keep adding feathers to his already richly decorated career. It was evidently visible at Chepauk when the veteran set up both well-set Shaik Rasheed and R Smaran brilliantly, jagging it back into the right-hander and moving it slightly away from the left-hander to finish with figures of 2/42.

“I’m always learning — that’s the right word,” said Shami. “I constantly strive to keep learning. In conditions like these, you can’t expect much conventional swing, and the bounce was quite low. In Bengaluru, conditions favoured the bowlers far more, so coming here was a stark contrast. But that doesn't mean you stray from your basics. I trust my line and length completely, and that's where I try to create wickets from. And honestly, if you can't exploit reverse swing in this kind of heat, what's the point?"

Shami also insisted that out there in the middle, it was quite a ‘tactical battle’ against the South Zone batters on a placid surface, where his full skillset was on display. “Whenever challenging situations arise, I want to put my hand up and deliver for the side."

But perhaps the biggest takeaway from East Zone's triumph was the bond within their dressing room. It was on display when a 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, captaining the team in Ishan Kishan’s absence, was jumping in joy with Shami, a man with over 16 years of domestic cricket experience.

"He (Sooryavanshi) loves pulling my leg! I usually tease him back by saying he isn't even as old as my cricket career. But he constantly banters with me, and that's great to see. Being able to open up, mingle freely, and build camaraderie will serve him very well going forward. I always encourage players to speak openly with everyone,” he opened up about camaraderie in the dressing room. 

Shami was also seen having a ten-minute chat with fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj after the latter struggled to find his rhythm on day one. Shami revealed his chat: “In the first innings, Siraj wasn’t quite finding his natural rhythm compared to how he bowled later. I just reminded him that to get back on top, he needed to return to his core strengths. When your run-up and rhythm are in sync, your line and length fall into place automatically.”

Adversities have been part and parcel of his 16-year-long career, but one thing has remained: Shami needs no extra motivation. “At this level, if you aren't self-motivated, your approach is wrong. No matter what stage you’re playing at, your eyes must always be set on the next level."

With expectations no longer weighing heavily on him, Shami is doing what he knows best — working hard, taking wickets and winning games. “My job is simply to put in the hard work — the rest is in the hands of the Almighty."