Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has picked Musheer Khan among the most impressive Indian players in the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup as well. He said that the spin-bowling all-rounder might have outperformed his elder brother Sarfaraz Khan by the end of their respective careers as well. While Australia beat India by 79 runs in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup final in Benoni on Sunday, February 11, Musheer, who amassed 360 runs and claimed seven wickets in as many games in the tournament, scored a 33-ball 22 and registered figures of 1/46 in nine overs in the final as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “I liked Musheer a lot. When their careers finish in the end, the younger brother might go ahead of the elder one. The good thing about him (Musheer) is that he has got the gift of timing.”He plays very well on his legs and plays well straight too. Whenever the ball is in that range, he plays extremely well. The kid plays spin very well and plays some good unconventional shots too. He will have to work on one thing. The backfoot play is slightly weak. He got a life in the final and got out in the slips in the semi-final as well. If you have to play long, you will have to work hard on your game against the short ball.”
However, Aakash Chopra expects Musheer Khan to overcome his issues against the short ball, saying that he has seen his father putting him through the hard yards by bowling bouncers with the sidearm from 12 yards as well. The veteran also named Saumy Pandey as another Indian player who stood out with his performances as well.
Another crucial wicket for #TeamIndia and this time it's Musheer Khan with the ball! 😁
Australia are 6 down, how many runs will they end up with on board? 👀
Tune in to #INDU19vAUSU19, #U19WorldCupFinal
LIVE NOW | Star Sports Network #Cricket #U19WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/Ekc0euopUi— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 11, 2024
“Then let’s go towards Saumy Pandey. He was the highest wicket-taker for us. He bowls left-arm spin and was also the vice-captain of this team. He bowls with great control and his speed variation is very good. He is a very decent player. I liked his temperament a lot. I liked Raj Limbani. He bowls good inswing with pace. He hit the opener’s stumps in the final as well. The ball pitched, went in and hit the stumps. So there will be a little focus on Raj Limbani as he is also very, very good,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
