Got motivated when I saw Sachin Sir on screen: Musheer
Four months since watching Virat Kohli score his record 50th ODI hundred in the World Cup semifinal, Sachin Tendulkar returned to the Wankhede Stadium president’s box on Tuesday morning for the third day’s opening session of the Ranji Trophy final.
Soon after lunch, Musheer Khan, 19, became the youngest Mumbai player to score a ton in a Ranji final, pushing Tendulkar down to the fourth in the list. While Tendulkar gave Musheer a standing ovation when he and Shreyas walked back during the lunch break, Musheer was thrilled to have Tendulkar in the gallery to watch him bat.
“I didn’t even know that Sachin Sir had come. Only when I got past 60, I saw Sachin Sir on the screen (at the stadium),” he said.
“That’s when I got the motivation that thodasa unko dikhana hai aaj batting
Musheer said he did not realise Tendulkar was in the stands till he got to 60.
Youngest century-makers in Ranji Trophy final
Amit Sharma (18y 127d), Punjab vs Maharashtra, 199293 Musheer Khan (19y 14d), Mumbai vs Vidarbha, 202324
karke (I have to impress him with my batting).”
Having scored a hundred in each innings in the first Ranji final he played in 199495, Tendulkar knows the importance of the feat.
“It was a dream for me to score a century in the Ranji Trophy final. We had
a good partnership, we communicated well and (Iyer) bhai was insisting that we have to bat for a long period and take the game as far as we can.”
While Musheer had his fathercumcoach Naushad watching from the stands, another family in the gallery was elated with their son’s feat. Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey picked up his maiden fivewicket haul in FC cricket. “Being the first, that too in a Ranji final and with my family having come down to watch it makes it even more special,” Dubey said.