Veteran Team India pace bowler Mohammed Shami shared his friendly back-and-forth banter with young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the duo helped East Zone clinch the Duleep Trophy 2026 title as well. Despite the final against South
Zone finishing in a draw, East Zone had a massive first-innings lead of 372 runs, scoring 708 in their first innings as well.

Shami did well in the tournament, claiming seven wickets at a great average of 26.57 in three matches. Meanwhile, Suryavanshi had his first high-level red-ball experience as East Zone’s vice-captain in the competition as well.

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Talking about his bonding with Suryavanshi after the Duleep Trophy, Shami said (via ESPN Cricinfo): “He 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 well going forward. I always encourage players to speak openly with everyone [in the team].”

However, Mohammed Shami believes youngsters like Vaibhav Suryavanshi showed maturity at a younger age because of the number of high-pressure competitions, especially the IPL as well.

“Most of these youngsters are already quite mature. With the level of cricket they play today, in the IPL and other high-pressure tournaments, maturity comes early, so you don’t need to over-coach them. But yes, when the game gets tight and challenging, that’s when you step in with tactical inputs and remind them to keep fighting,” Mohammed Shami concluded.