Bengaluru: Despite Sarfaraz Khan's recent struggles to impress the selectors, his younger brother Musheer Khan grabbed the spotlight with a stunning century on the opening day of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. Playing for India B against India A at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Musheer’s heroic knock led his team’s recovery after a severe batting collapse.

Sarfaraz, who had earlier managed only 9 runs off 35 deliveries in India B's first innings, was seen cheering passionately from the dressing room as Musheer reached his century. The 19-year-old batter celebrated his milestone with energy, while his brother, along with teammates and the support staff, erupted in applause.

India B, put in to bat first, initially struggled to find momentum. The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Abhimanyu Easwaran cautiously added 33 runs before Avesh Khan made the first breakthrough by dismissing Easwaran. What followed was a dramatic collapse, as India B was reduced to 94 for seven in just under 44 overs. Avesh, along with left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed and Akash Deep, shared the spoils with two wickets each.

However, Musheer took charge after the collapse, guiding India B back into the match. The Mumbai-based batter, who made his first-class debut in 2022, displayed maturity beyond his years. He formed a crucial unbeaten 110-run partnership with tail-ender Navdeep Saini. Musheer reached his century in style, finishing Day 1 at 105 not out from 227 balls, with 10 boundaries and two sixes to his name.

Musheer’s century on his Duleep Trophy debut places him among elite company. He joins the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who made their mark in the same tournament 33 years ago. In that legendary encounter between West Zone and East Zone in Guwahati, a 17-year-old Tendulkar had scored 159, while Ganguly responded with an unbeaten 124. Musheer’s achievement adds a new chapter to this storied legacy.

This isn’t the first time the young Khan has found himself compared to the great Tendulkar. Earlier this year, Musheer broke Sachin’s record to become the youngest batter to score a century in a Ranji Trophy final. At 19, Musheer’s 140 against Punjab surpassed Tendulkar’s 1994-95 feat when he scored 136 in the final at the age of 21.

Musheer’s potential has been evident in other tournaments as well. He was the second-highest run-getter in the 2024 U-19 World Cup, where he scored 360 runs in seven matches, including two centuries in South African conditions. He also made a significant impact in the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy season, scoring his maiden first-class century in the quarterfinal against Baroda, which he converted into a double ton. He followed it up with a title-winning knock of 136 in the final against Vidarbha.

While Musheer’s journey is still in its early stages, his performances have already sparked discussions about his potential inclusion in the India Test squad, especially with the upcoming series against Bangladesh on the horizon. As he continues to make headlines with his consistent performances, the young middle-order batter from Mumbai may soon find himself knocking on the doors of the national team.

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Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.

The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.

"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.

Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.

The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."

Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.

"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.

Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.

He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.

"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.