MUMBAI: Saturday morning began on a tough note for Musheer Khan. As he was preparing to leave for the MCA ground in BKC to take part in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Himachal, the 20-year-old allrounder learnt that he had lost his ‘mamu,’ maternal uncle, with whom he developed a great affinity while growing up.It’s the sort of time when you can be drowned in memories and emotions. However, the youngster did well to put up a brave show, pulling Mumbai out of the woods as they slipped to 35 for three and then 73 for four, slamming fourth First-class century (112 off 162 balls with 14 fours), and his first since Sept last year, after which he suffered a horrific accident was ruled out of the 2024-25 domestic season.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!However, once he reached his milestone, which took 143 balls and saw him occupy the crease for a mammoth 263 minutes, Musheer let his emotions out, breaking into tears as he raised his bat towards the dressing room and the spectators in the BKC Clubhouse.“Firstly, this century came after a long time, and also I felt so emotional after losing my mamu (maternal uncle), with whom I have so many fond memories. I have played in his lap,” Musheer said.Usually, whenever Musheer or his elder brother Sarfaraz Khan play in a match in Mumbai, their father-cum-coach Naushad Khan makes it a point to watch the boys in action. However, on Saturday, he had to rush to Azamgarh to be with the grieving family. Overcoming a tough situation, Musheer managed to pay tribute to his maternal uncle with a classy ton. There’s a special connection that the young turk has with the MCA ground in BKC. He made his first-class debut for Mumbai against Saurashtra here in Dec 2022. In the next Ranji season (2024-25), Musheer, staging a magnificent comeback into the Mumbai team in the Ranji Trophy knockouts, slammed 203* & 55 against Baroda in the quarterfinal, and then 55 against Tamil nadu in the semifinal, besides taking two for 18 with his left-arm spin.Possessing an unconventional method of charging down to the pacers repeatedly, Musheer knows that there are runs to be plundered at BKC once the early morning moisture dries up. “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 well in that session. The BKC is my favourite ground, I have played here since childhood and scored a lot of runs, so I knew the wicket will get easier to bat after lunch,” he said.Displaying oodles of patience during his 157-run partnership with fellow centurion Siddhesh Lad (100 not out off 207 balls), Musheer chose to grind the Himachal bowlers out on a hot day at a venue where he has mastered the art of scoring runs. “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. 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,” he said.Explaining his unconventional method of frequently charging down the track to even the fast bowlers, Musheer said, “Because if the bowler gets a rhythm, he becomes better. With the new ball too, I try to not overdo it, but once in a over, I try to disturb the length.” “We are very happy (that) Musheer is back in form. We know he has got the potential to score big runs,” Lad had said on Friday, after Musheer, playing the role of an opener, shrugged off his lean start to the season (0 & 8 vs Jammu & Kashmir) & 12 (vs Chhatisgarh), with scores of 49 & 63 against Rajasthan at Jaipur. Clearly, the Mumbai team is aware of what Musheer can produce once he finds his mojo, as he did on Saturday against Himachal. “First of all, I would like to thank the coaches and the captain, Shardul bhai (Shardul Thakur). He backed me a lot, because in the initial matches, I didn’t get a lot of runs.And I would like to thank the Mumbai Cricket Association and the BCCI’s CoE, where I underwent rehab, as well,” he said.Closing in on 1,000 first-class runs-he has got to 960 in his 13th match-Musheer, who scored a match-winning century in the Ranji Trophy, knows the importance of this century, which has come after being on the sidelined due to his neck injury caused by the accident.“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.Even as Musheer savoured his century, his elder brother Sarfaraz’s poor form continued, as the seasoned campaigner was dismissed for a 57-ball 16. Before he left for the dressing room, Sarfaraz offered a valuable piece of advice for Musheer. “Bhai told me to stay there and keep scoring…” he said.Elaborating on the symphony with Lad, which left the Himachalk bowlers huffing and puffing, Musheer said, “I like it that our seniors are letting us play our own game. They don’t tell us how we have to play, but just tell us to look at the team and the situation. They have given us a free hand. ‘They have told us: ‘You can hit a six or you can play your own game. But the team comes first.’ We (I and Lad) had thought that unless the bowler bowls an unplayable delivery, we won’t throw our wicket.”
