India's Under-19 World Cup campaign had plenty of positives despite losing the final to Australia.
Former cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has heaped praises on young allrounder Musheer Khan, who was impressive in the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup. Chopra said that Musheer Khan might go ahead of his brother Sarfaraz Khan after the end of their respective cricketing careers.
“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,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“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 added.
However, the former India opener also noted a flaw in Musheer’s game and advised him to work on it. “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,” he stated.
Chopra also added in his video that Musheer is a decent package for white-ball cricket, noting that he is a utility left-arm spinner and an excellent fielder as well.
Batting at No. 3, Musheer scored 360 runs in 7 matches at an average of 60 in the tournament. In addition, he also picked up 7 wickets. Although, he was unable to make a mark with the bat in the final and was dismissed for 22.
Chopra also feels that fast bowler Raj Limbani also had a great tournament. “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,” he said.
Indian vice-captain Saumy Pandey too had an excellent tournament and was the second highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets from just 7 matches at an astounding average of 10.27. Aakash Chopra was impressed with the left-arm spinner’s temperament. He stated, “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.”
Meanwhile, India finished as the runners-up for ICC Under-19 World Cup 2024. Australia U19 won the final by 79 runs and won their fourth title. It was India’s ninth appearance in the U19 World Cup final. They have won it for a record five times.
