Musheer Khan, a 19-year-old batsman from Mumbai, showcased his batting prowess on Thursday, smashing an unbeaten century to rescue India B from the brink of a collapse on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Facing challenging bowling conditions that favored the bowlers, India B found themselves reeling at 94 for 7. However, Khan stepped up to the challenge, demonstrating exceptional composure and technique to anchor the innings.
He attributed his success to a tactical approach, focusing on playing close to his body to counter the ball’s movement in the overcast weather. “I wanted to play as many balls as possible without thinking too much about runs. I wanted to bat the whole day, and I was taking it session by session. The ball was swinging and cutting when I came to bat,” Musheer explained after the day’s play. “So, I was trying to play the ball as close to my body as possible, and was looking to avoid those risky shots. I knew runs would eventually come.”
Musheer’s efforts were complemented by a vital partnership with late-order batsman Navdeep Saini. The duo forged an unbroken 108-run stand for the eighth wicket, significantly bolstering India B’s total. “When wickets were falling at the other end, I told myself to play intelligently and look for a partnership. Then Saini bhai gave me a lot of confidence saying he will play whether it is two balls or six balls in an over, and just keep faith in him,” Musheer elaborated. “He was also able to match my thinking and approach while batting. But generally, I was trying to defend the first three or four balls and then take a single.”
Musheer’s innings was particularly notable for his adept handling of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Five of his ten boundaries came off Kuldeep, including two successive shots down the V. The young batsman revealed that conversations with senior players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant played a key role in his preparation. “This is the second time I am playing Kuldeep bhai. We have some experienced players in our side like Shubman bhai and Rishabh bhai who told me which of Kuldeep bhai’s balls will be effective and off which ones I can score runs. But once I got set, batting became easy on this wicket,” Musheer stated.
The 19-year-old Mumbai batsman also emphasized the invaluable learning experience he gained from playing in the Duleep Trophy. “This is a good learning experience for me as there are a lot of senior players in my team and in opposition. I am observing the way they think, their confidence and how they prepare for a practice session and a match,” he added.
