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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New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.

The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.

Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.

A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.

She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.

According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.

The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.

She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.

"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.

The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.

The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.

The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.

Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.

Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.

A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.

"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.

Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.

The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.

The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.

Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.