In a spectacular display of cricketing prowess at the ICC U-19 World Cup in Bloemfontein, Musheer Khan’s masterclass ton propelled India to a resounding victory over New Zealand in their Super Six clash. The match showcased the emerging talents of the young Indian squad, leaving fans and cricket experts in awe of their skills. Chasing 296, the Kiwi batters fumbled right from the start and never found their rhythm going. Saumy Pandey produced a brilliant bowling effort and starred with bowling figures of 4 for 19, helping his side to bowl out New Zealand for a mere 81.

The Mangaung Oval pitch had perfect conditions for batting, and Musheer grabbed the opportunity to become the leading run scorer in the ongoing tournament with 325 runs, surpassing Pakistan’s Shahzaib Khan. Despite a shaky start with the early loss of Arshin Kulkarni, Musheer and Adarsh Singh led a remarkable recovery, putting up a crucial 77-run stand.

Adarsh demonstrated attacking flair, driving with grace and executing a beautiful pull shot. However, his promising innings came to an end at 52 when Zac Cumming coaxed an edge, which Oliver Tewatiya caught. India’s captain Uday Saharan departed for 35 after making a fine 87-run partnership with Musheer.

But Musheer kept playing strong to bring up his second century of the tournament. The right-handed batter’s blistering knock of 131-run showcased his exquisite stroke play. Despite the late flurry of wickets, India fell just short of reaching 300 runs, finishing at 295/8. Mason Clarke starred with a four-wicket haul for the Black Caps.

New Zealand had the worst-ever start as Raj Limbani dismissed both Tom Jones and Snehith Reddy for a duck in the very first over. Pandey then gave the Black Caps a double blow, removing Lachlan Stackpole and James Nelson in consecutive overs. The Kiwi batters failed to stitch a partnership while Indian bowlers took wickets regularly to register a massive win.