Our father has conditioned us to score big: Musheer Khan

Musheer Khan (Source – Twitter/X)

19-year-old Musheer Khan played a crucial role in rescuing India B from a tricky position in the opening round of the Duleep Trophy 2024. His 181-run innings not only steadied the ship but announced his arrival on the big stage. The Mumbai-born thanked his father, Naushad Khan for scoring big innings.

The star-studded India B lineup, featuring names like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, saw themselves in deep trouble at 94/7 against a disciplined India A bowling attack. The pace trio of Khaleel Ahmed, Akash Deep, and Avesh Khan had wreaked havoc, putting India B in the backfoot.

Musheer, brother of Sarfaraz, rose to the occasion when his team needed him most. He anchored the innings during the tough phase, particularly in the second session where India B lost five wickets.

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“Our father has conditioned us to score big, For us, our century starts at 150. He’s told us to play our shots after reaching that milestone. We need to play the whole day, stay at the wicket. And we’re very hungry for runs,” Musheer said as quoted by Cricket.com.

Partnering with Navdeep Saini, the allrounder began to counterattack once he reached his half-century. He targeted spinner Tanush Kotian, his Mumbai teammate, for some aggressive shots down the ground, bringing up a memorable century on his Duleep Trophy debut.

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The young batter’s innings gained momentum on Day 2, as he confidently played both front-foot and back-foot shots against the pacers. His measured yet strategic approach allowed the partnership with Saini to flourish, taking India B from a precarious 94/7 to a more respectable 269/7. The partnership with Saini grew to an unbeaten 175 runs, inching close to the Duleep Trophy record for the highest eighth wicket stand.

Musheer’s 150 came with a comfortable double off Kuldeep Yadav and he celebrated by raising his bat and received a ‘keep calm and keep batting’ gesture from his brother in the dressing room. Khan finally ended his innings after scoring 181 runs off 373 balls.