‘My name is not in IPL, father told me to play Test cricket for India’

Sarfaraz Khan’s brother, Musheer Khan, the Player of the Match in the Ranji Trophy final, does not have an IPL contract. But just like his brother, who recently made his Test debut against England and performed well, Musheer is not disappointed at all. He wants to emulate his brother and get success for India at the Test level.
Musheer, 19, said an IPL contract will eventually come but right now he is focussing on getting his basics right.
“My name is not in the IPL. But I don’t feel disappointed. My father tells me to play Test cricket and play for Team India. IPL will eventually happen, if not today then tomorrow,” Musheer told PTI recalling the words of his father and formative coach Naushad.
“It’s good that I got another year to prepare for the IPL. I will understand T20 cricket more, and how I should prepare for this format,” said Musheer.
The right-hander, who is also a handy left-arm spinner, would not have made a return to first-class cricket after two seasons if senior batter Shreyas Iyer hadn’t pulled out of the quarterfinal citing a back injury. Playing his first Ranji Trophy match since 2022 and that too in a quarterfinal, Musheer made full use of the big stage. He turned his maiden century into a double hundred when Mumbai were in a tricky situation.
Musheer followed that knock with a half-century against Tamil Nadu in the semi-final. In the final against Vidarbha, he slammed 136 in the second innings helping Mumbai set a massive target of 538. It eventually helped Mumbai land their record-extending 42nd title in the Ranji Trophy.
Understandably, Musheer drew inspiration from his elder brother Sarfaraz, who made his India debut in the third Test against England at 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 game (Ranji final) to think of it as a normal match and not to take too much pressure.”
“From outside, it may feel like a normal match but on the field, we feel pressure on the field. He told me to back my skills and follow the process,” he added. Musheer, who was also the leading run-scorer in the ICC Under-19 World Cup earlier this year including two hundreds, was quite chuffed after Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy triumph after a gap of eight years.
“It’s a matter of pride that we have amassed 42 titles. Many great players have played here (for Mumbai). I feel very proud that I have played for Mumbai and won a championship.”I also want to thank the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and congratulate them because they have provided us with a lot of support. I hope they continue to back us in the same way,” he said.