Under-19 Cricket World Cup: Sarfaraz Khan told me to play with all my heart, says India's Musheer Khan
Musheer Khan has been a revelation for India at the U-19 World Cup with 334 runs from five matches, including two hundreds.
Benoni: Musheer Khan did the right thing by imitating his prolific elder brother Sarfaraz for all things cricket. From the way Sarfaraz bats to the way he thinks about winning every match, Musheer has taken a leaf out of his brother's book on most matters of cricket. He also reaps the benefits of that. Musheer has been a revelation in India's dominant campaign at the U-19 World Cup so far, topping the charts with 334 runs in five matches.
“I have learned a lot from Sarfaraz – from the way he bats and how he always thinks about winning the match for his team, to how he builds his innings,” he told the ICC about his brother who was part of the Indian team. the second Test against England.
“Even when he joined the Indian team, his focus was always on scoring runs and on the process, without worrying about the result. My focus is also on the process. “The first thing he told me (before the U19 World Cup) was that there is no greater pride than playing for India. He told me to enjoy myself on the field and that whenever I get an opportunity – whether it is with the bat or the ball – you have to pull the team in any situation and win the match.
“He told me to play with all my heart because you represent the country.” The prolific Musheer, the star of India's U-19 World Cup campaign in South Africa, on Monday asserted that he will not be satisfied until the team lifts the winners' trophy, putting title glory ahead of personal achievements.
Defending champion India will take on hosts South Africa in the semi-finals here on Tuesday.
Musheer has scored two centuries – against Ireland and New Zealand – and is the only player in the tournament to have more than one ton to his name. “I am happy with my performance, but I will not be satisfied until we win the World Cup,” Musheer told ICC. “As far as being the highest run-getter, I don't really want to think about it. Since we started playing the tournament, it has been all about winning the World Cup and that is what we are focusing on. I just want to do well for the team and take the results as they come.”