An IPL contract may be at the top of a cricketer's bucket list, but Mumbai's teenage Ranji Trophy hero Musheer Khan is happy to have gone unsold at last year's player auction as it gives him some more time to master the T20 format to understand'. The 19-year-old, who became the youngest Mumbai batsman to score a hundred in a Ranji final that eclipsed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's milestone, was confident of making his mark in the IPL in due course.
“My name is not in the IPL. But I don't feel disappointed. My father says I should play Test cricket and play for Team India. IPL will happen eventually, if not today then tomorrow,” Musheer told PTI Video, recalling the words of his father and formative coach Naushad.
“It's good that I have another year to prepare for the IPL. I will understand T20 cricket better and how to prepare for this format,” said Musheer, who has only five first-class matches so far played.
Musheer recently made his name in the Ranji final against Vidarbha with a 136 in the second innings, helping Mumbai set a huge target of 538. It ultimately helped Mumbai clinch their record-extending 42nd Ranji Trophy title.
Understandably, Musheer took inspiration from his elder brother Sarfaraz, who made his India debut in the third Test against England in Rajkot last month.
“I am really inspired by my brother because of his dedication and the way he bats. Our batting style is similar. He told me before the match (Ranji final) that I should treat it as a normal match and not put too much pressure ” “From the outside it may feel like a normal match, but on the field we feel pressure on the field. He told me to trust my skills and follow the process,” he added.
Musheer, who was also the leading run-scorer in the ICC Under-19 World Cup with two hundreds earlier this year, was quite elated after winning the Ranji Trophy in Mumbai after a gap of eight years.
“It is a matter of pride that we have collected 42 titles. Many great players have played here (for Mumbai). I am very proud to have played for Mumbai and won a championship.”
“I would also like to thank and congratulate the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for giving us a lot of support. I hope they continue to support us in the same way,” he said.
The elegant right-hander praised veteran pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, who retired after the Ranji Trophy final.
“The support he has given to cricket in Mumbai, the things he has done for Mumbai, is incredible. The speech he gave before the final was a real motivation for all of us.
“It was his last match. We were emotional and we wanted to win the trophy as a gift for Dhawal Bhai. We wanted him to leave happy. He took the last wicket (of Vidarbha) of the match and everything went perfectly,” he noted.
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