"Rishabh bhai and Shubman bhai gave me insights" - Musheer Khan credits seniors for countering Kuldeep Yadav in Duleep Trophy 2024
India B batter Musheer Khan rescued his side with a brilliant unbeaten 102 off 227 deliveries on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy encounter against India A at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, September 5. The right-handed batter scored more than half of the team total as India B ended the opening day with 205-7, recovering from 94-7.
Musheer came into bat at No. 3 following skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran's dismissal. He was stranded at one end as he witnessed wickets fall like nine pins. With no middle-order batter recording double figures, Musheer ran the risk of running out of partners.
The Mumbai batter also had to deal with a potent seam trio of Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, and Akash Deep. Furthermore, the threat of the seasoned Kuldeep Yadav was also equally challenging. Musheer, however, dealt with the left-arm spinner quite well, and in fact, greeted him with a boundary off the first ball of the 39th over of the innings.
The tussle between the two continued as the day progressed, but Musheer had the upper hand, hitting three boundaries in quick succession midway through the second session. It was also off Kuldeep's bowling Musheer brought up his hundred in the closing stages of the day's play.
Musheer credited his India B teammate Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill for their tips to counter against Kuldeep.
"This is the second time I've faced Kuldeep bhai. Rishabh bhai and Shubman bhai gave me insights into which deliveries from Kuldeep would be effective and which ones I could score off. Once I got set, batting became easier," Musheer Khan said after the day's play (via India Today).
"Playing alongside and against senior players is a great experience. Observing their mindset, confidence, and preparation is helping me grow as a cricketer," he added
Five off Musheer Khan's 10 fours in the innings came against Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm spinner finished the day with figures of 0-50 off 14 overs.
"I wanted to bat as long as possible without worrying about the runs" - Musheer Khan
The new-ball bowlers had a memorable outing after India A skipper Shubman Gill opted to bowl first under overcast conditions. The pace trio picked up two wickets apiece, and if not for Musheer Khan's heroics, India B would have crumbled for a paltry total.
"I wanted to bat as long as possible without worrying about the runs. I was focusing on playing session by session and playing the ball close to my body to avoid risky shots. I knew the runs would come eventually," Musheer spoke of his approach in the same interaction.
Musheer needed a reliable partner at the other end when India B were reeling at 94-7. Navdeep Saini, who came in as a last-minute replacement, proved the perfect ally, holding his end with an unbeaten 29 off 74 deliveries.
"When wickets were falling at the other end, Saini bhai gave me confidence, assuring me he would hold his ground, no matter how many balls he faced. His steady approach helped me focus on building a partnership," Musheer concluded.
The partnership for the eighth wicket is still intact at 108 runs off 212 deliveries.