Ranji Trophy: Emotional Musheer Khan slams hundred for Mumbai hours after losing uncle
Hours before he reached the MCA-BKC ground on Saturday, Musheer Khan lost his maternal uncle, with whom he spent a ‘lot of time’ growing up.
Memories kept flooding in as he walked out to bat, and it was difficult to keep the emotions in check. But the youngster put up a brave show and cut out the noise as he scored his fourth First-class century.
However, soon after reaching the milestone, he looked emotional. “Firstly, this hundred came after a long time, and also I felt so emotional after losing my maamu (maternal uncle), with whom I have so many fond memories,” Musheer said.
Usually, whenever Musheer or his elder brother Sarfaraz Khan features in a match, their father Naushad Khan makes it a point to watch the boys in action. This time, he had to rush to Azamgarh to be with the grieving family. But Musheer made it a point to pay tribute to his maternal uncle with a classy ton. It wasn’t easy, but the youngster was determined.
“In this venue, the morning session always produces two or three wickets. So, we were clear that we did not want to go after runs, just wanted to play it out,” Musheer said, making it clear that holding fort was crucial after Mumbai lost four early wickets. “The BKC is my favourite ground, I have scored a lot of runs here, so I knew the wicket will get easier to bat after lunch…”
Partnering with Siddhesh Lad, Musheer took a cautious approach. “I always think that I am starting from zero at the start of every session. So, I try to bat long, try to bat lots of balls. Here, there are two phases. One is in the morning. In the evening as well, with the shade coming off the buildings, sighting gets a bit difficult, especially if the bowler gets some assistance,” he said.
“Once you are set, past your hundred, seeing the ball like a football, then you see the shade, you tell yourself to restart again. So, that’s the mindset I had for morning and evening. I try to play every ball like it is the first ball…”
Whenever he starts an innings, he ensures that a bowler has not settled in. “Because if the bowler gets a rhythm, he becomes better. With the new ball too, I try to not overdo it, but once in an over, I try to disturb the length,” Musheer said.
After a string of low scores, Musheer found his mojo in the previous game against Rajasthan in Jaipur, and followed it up with a century against Himachal.
“I thank my captain (Shardul Thakur) for backing me when runs did not come straightaway in the season. I always follow the process. This hundred is important because it gives you confidence early in the season. I came close in the last match but could not because of a lapse in concentration,” he said.
While Musheer had a memorable outing, his elder brother Sarfaraz’s poor show continued, but as the seasoned campaigner departed early, he had a piece of advice for Musheer. “ Bhai told me to stay there and keep scoring…” he said.
Published on Nov 08, 2025
