"My preparation was really good," says Musheer Khan as India B secures a win in Duleep Trophy opener

Marking his debut in the Duleep Trophy, Musheer Khan played an instrumental role in leading India B to the first victory of the season. The 19-year-old laid the foundation for the 76-run victory over India A at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The youngster played a crucial knock in the first innings when other batters including his brother Sarfaraz Khan failed. Showing sharp resiliency at a raw age, Khan knocked 150 on the first day and kept his side alive in the game. Khan eventually concluded his innings at the score of 181. Apart from achieving a personal record, he built an impactful partnership with Navdeep Saini for the 8th wicket. The 205-run partnership is now the biggest partnership in the Duleep Trophy for the 8th wicket. Khan, who was awarded as the Player of the Match at India B’s victory also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar as he registered the third highest score by a teenager in the domestic tournament.

Musheer Khan opens up on his 181-run knock after India B thrash India A in Duleep Trophy

As the match concluded on Sunday, Khan revealed that he had expected to get a call up for the Duleep Trophy after his strong performance in the Ranji Trophy. On the opening day of the tournament, Musheer captivated with his determination as he scored a stellar 181 runs off 373 balls. While it was his debut match in the Duleep Trophy, the century was his third ton in first-class cricket. His innings included 16 fours and five sixes, lifting India B from a lowly 94/7 to a formidable 321 in their first innings. This total gave them a 90-run advantage, ultimately leading to their win.

"My preparation was really good with my father. I had done well in Ranji so I knew I could get an opportunity here. Every ball I was encouraging him from the non-striker's end to play it out (his partnership with Saini). I think it was only the first or second time for me to take catches at short leg," said Musheer at the end of the match after being titled as the Player of the Match.

The next matches in the first round of Duleep Trophy will pit the Shubman Gill-led India A against Shreyas Iyer’s India D. Meanwhile, India B, under the captaincy of Abhimanyu Easwaran will face the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India C who will come to the clash after securing a win against India D on Friday. Both the matches are slated to start on September 12.