What a brilliant 24 hours it has been for Musheer Khan. Brother of India Test batter Sarfaraz, Musheer was pretty much unstoppable while batting for India B in the Duleep Trophy match against India A in Bengaluru. With India B tottering at 94/7, Musheer played a knock that he will cherish for the rest of his life, one that saw him score a century on debut and take the team total to a formidable 321. Musheer built on his century overnight and added a frustratingly long 205 runs with Navdeep Saini with the eight wicket. His innings came to an end but not before Musheer had done something spectacular – surpass Sachin Tendulkar by registering the third-highest score by a batter on Duleep Trophy debut. Musheer’s 181 is now above Tendulkar, but below Baba Aparajith’s 212 for South Zone against West Zone in 2013 and Yash Dull’s 193 for North Zone against East Zone in 2022
Musheer’s innings – which ended 19 short of a double hundred – left a few cricketing personalities in awe of his effort. Suryakumar Yadav took to X and expressed joy at the youngster’s outstanding knock. The Indian T20I captain, who was expected to represent India C, was forced to miss the first round due to an injury, but despite the setback, SKY sounded genuinely happy for Musheer.
“What a knock, Musheer Khan. Supported really well by Navdeep Saini. Duty ke baad roz practice, jitna duty utna practice. (Practice every day after duty (batting). The more you bat, the more you practice,” SKY posted.
Musheer’s heroics crossed Indian shores, reaching the Caribbean where West Indies legend Ian Bishop took note of the 19-year-old’s marathon inning. Bishop was pleased to see Indian cricket celebrating Musheer with followed it with an emoji reaction that sums up the greatness of the knock. “Nice to see the cricket fraternity in India celebrate and uplift the achievements of a wonderful young batter. That is a very talented family,” he posted.
In 1991, Tendulkar, representing West Zone has scored 159 against East Zone, a record that stood tall for 23 years. Tendulkar and Manjrekar had both slammed centuries, while another debutant in the opposition, Sourav Ganguly picked 4/117. Ganguly then followed it up with a hundred of his own, scoring 124 as East Zone were bowled out for 317.
Musheer Khan’s dream run
Musheer’s stock have been on the rise since earlier this year, when he emerged as India’s second-highest run-scorer during India’s run up to the final of the Under 19 World Cup. A few days later, Musheer starred in Mumbai’s win over Baroda in the quarter-final of the Ranji Trophy with a double century – his maiden First-Class double ton. Not just Musheer, but older brother Sarfaraz was having a ball as well as he made his India debut the same time and scored twin fifties against England in Rajkot.
Musheer’s innings was laden with 16 fours and fives sixes as he held up one end brilliantly after India B’s top and middle order was shredded, including the wicket of brother Sarfaraz, who got out LBW to Avesh Khan for 9. But Musheer and a dogged resistance shown by Navdeep Saini, who scored a half-century of his own with the help of 8 fours and one six, frustrated India A’s bowlers and their captain Shubman Gill.
