Duleep Trophy: Musheer Khan dazzels with 181 runs on debut, outshining star-studded lineup

The 2024 Duleep Trophy is currently in its first round, featuring an exciting match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This game pits Shubman Gill-led India A against Abhimanyu Easwaran's India B. While notable players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant are part of the lineup, it was young Musheer Khan who captured the spotlight for India B with a remarkable century. The 19-year-old not only delivered an exceptional performance but also surpassed a long-standing record previously held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Musheer Khan shines for India B on his Duleep Trophy debut

The Duleep Trophy is being perceived as a playground for the Indian team selection ultimately putting the spotlight on names like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the 19-year-old batter grabbed all the attention for himself when he registered a tenacious 150-run stand on the opening day with wickets falling all around him. The Duleep Trophy debutante held the fort almost all by himself for the Abhimanyu Easwaran led side. On the second day, Musheer Khan continued his exploit as he partnered with pacer Navdeep Saini for the 8th wicket. The duo registered a record breaking 205-run stand at the lower end, which is now registered as the biggest partnership for the 8th wicket in the history of Duleep Trophy.

"When I went in for batting, I was thinking of only playing as many balls as possible. I was not thinking about the runs, I just wanted to bat the whole day. I don't think too much and I wanted to take it session by session. When I went in, the ball was swinging a little bit, I was only trying to play late and close to the body. I did not want to play any risky shots then, just play on the merit of the ball. Whatever runs come, it'll come, I was not trying to go in search of it," he said as he explained his first-innings mastery.

Khan's innings was characterised by impressive stroke play, including 16 boundaries and 5 sixes. He demonstrated a solid technique and appeared particularly formidable against spin bowling, handling Kuldeep Yadav's deliveries with notable skill. Kuldeep Yadav ultimately had the final say; Musheer Khan's innings ended when he misjudged a delivery from the left-arm leg-spinner, resulting in a catch by Riyan Parag. The young gun talked about facing Kuldeep after he concluded his maiden Duleep Trophy inning.

"I was playing him [Kuldeep] for the second time, I had played him in the Academy before. We have a lot of experienced players in our side like my brother and Rishabh bhai also. They were telling me which balls of his could be effective and that I should wait for the short ball. So I was thinking about that when I was playing him. But once I was set I was able to play him normally. I feel that if you get set on thiis wicket, it becomes easier for batting," reflected Musheer.

The 181 runs scored in his debut Duleep Trophy innings proved enough to put Musheer Khan in the record books. Overtaking Sachin Tendulkar in the list of the highest run scored by a teenager, Musheer is now third to only Baba Aprajith’s 212 runs and Yash Dhull’s 193 runs innings. The Mumbai batter subsequently opened up on his record breaking partnership with Navdeep Saini at the end of the Day 2.

"Saini bhai came in and gave me the confidence. He told me to have faith saying 'I'll stay, even if you give me two balls to face or six.' He just told me to have faith in him. And that's what happened, we were communicating well in the middle. What I was thinking was the same that he was thinking as well which was to take the runs as and when they come but not go searching for it,” Khan explained.

At 19, Musheer tops the record books with his 181-run innings

Musheer Khan played a crucial innings, scoring 181 runs off 373 deliveries. His innings marked the third-highest individual score by a teenager on Duleep Trophy debut. The previous record was held by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 159 on his debut for West Zone against East Zone in 1991.

While the ongoing red-ball tournament marks the debut of Musheer Khan in the Duleep Trophy, the young gun has arrived here after registering remarkable knocks in age-group cricket. Only this year, Musheer Khan scored a century each against New Zealand and Ireland in the Under-19 World Cup for India. Ultimately, Musheer Khan concluded the marquee event as the second highest run scorer with 360 runs to his name. 

The younger to Sarfaraz Khan then went on to register himself as a deserving prospect as he scored a double hundred for Mumbai in the Ranji quarterfinal, a fifty in the semifinal and another hundred in the final. This explains his undeniable average of 58.77 in first-class cricket which led to his selection in the Duleep Trophy which also includes major names like that of his elder brother Sarfaraz Khan along with the likes of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and others.