Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 5 (ANI): As India's veteran seamer Mohammed Shami prepares to make his 100th first-class appearance in Sunday's Duleep Trophy final, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly congratulated the pacer on reaching the milestone, describing it as a remarkable achievement for a fast bowler from the subcontinent.

He praised Shami's growth, consistency and contributions to Test cricket, and said winning the Duleep Trophy final would be the perfect icing on the cake. 

Shami, who has 99 first-class appearances to his name, has claimed 382 wickets in his career, including career-best figures of 8/90 in an innings, underscoring his long and distinguished domestic career.

Shami will be in action for East Zone on Sunday when they take on South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

'Dear Shami, congratulations on achieving this amazing feat - 100 first-class matches. As a fast bowler in the subcontinent, it's a remarkable achievement. I've seen you grow; I've played with you. It was the early stages of your career and the end of my international career. I always knew there was talent, but I'm extremely happy that you've used that talent to go this distance,' Ganguly said in a video posted by CAB on Facebook.

'And I enjoy the games. You're playing the Duleep Trophy final - it will be an icing on the cake if you win it. Your performances over the years have been fantastic, especially in Test cricket. You know, when fast bowlers shy away from playing Test cricket, you have a day-in, day-out run-in for India. Heartiest congratulations once again from my side and everyone at the Cricket Association of Bengal and the state of West Bengal. You know, it's a fabulous achievement. Enjoy the game and hope to see you soon,' he added. 

In the ongoing Duleep Trophy, Shami has picked up five wickets at an impressive average of 28.80, with his best figures of 3/56.

The veteran pacer has played a key role in East Zone's run to the final, claiming five wickets across two innings as they knocked defending champions Central Zone out of the competition. 

Despite being out of the national setup, Shami has continued to feature in domestic and first-class cricket as he works towards regaining full fitness and mounting a bid for another India recall. (ANI)