Musheer Khan scored an unbeaten 105 off 227 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and two sixes, marking his third first-class century.
While Sarfaraz Khan struggled to make an impact in recent red-ball games, including a modest 9 off 35 for India B against India A on Day 1 of the 2024 Duleep Trophy, his younger brother Musheer delivered a stellar performance. Sarfaraz, despite his own setback, couldn’t stay seated and enthusiastically celebrated from the stands as Musheer smashed a debut century in the tournament.
After India B was put to bat first, Musheer led the team’s recovery single-handedly. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran managed a cautious 33-run start before Avesh Khan, along with Khaleel Ahmed and Akash Deep, dismantled the lineup, leaving India B at 94 for 7 in 43.5 overs, each pacer taking two wickets.
Musheer, who made his first-class debut for Mumbai in December 2022, found crucial support from tail-ender Navdeep Saini. The duo forged an unbeaten 110-run partnership, with Musheer reaching his century and closing Day 1 on 105 not out.
The 19-year-old's emotional and aggressive celebration was met with loud cheers from his brother Sarfaraz and the entire dressing room. Sarfaraz, leading the applause, couldn’t hide his pride as Musheer’s knock mirrored those of legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Both Tendulkar and Ganguly had also scored centuries on their Duleep Trophy debuts 33 years ago in a memorable match between West Zone and East Zone in Guwahati.
This isn't the first time Musheer has been compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Earlier in 2024, Musheer broke Sachin's record as the youngest batter to score a century in a Ranji Trophy final, achieving the feat at just 19. Tendulkar had previously set the record with a 140 at the age of 21 in the 1994-95 Ranji Trophy final against Punjab.
Musheer has consistently risen to the occasion in key matches. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2024 U-19 World Cup, with 360 runs and two centuries in South Africa. His form carried into the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy, where he scored his maiden first-class double century in the quarterfinal against Baroda and followed it with a match-winning 136 in the final against Vidarbha.
With this Duleep Trophy century, Musheer has further strengthened his case for India’s future Test selections, potentially earning a spot for the upcoming series against Bangladesh.