Akash Deep gets hit on the chest by a delivery from Mukesh Kumar.© AFP
The Duleep Trophy has so far seen several top Indian in action. The domestic tournament is being seen as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming India vs Bangladesh Test series. The general view is that a good performance here will help in getting into the Indian cricket team that will play Bangladesh, Starting September 19. The India A vs India B is one such match which has seen stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav play against each other.
On Saturday, a delivery from India B's Mukesh Kumar hit Akash Deep's chest. Akash Deep has played one Test for India while Mukesh Kumar three Tests, six ODIs and 17 T20Is for India. Akash Deep looked to be in pain when the ball hit him. Mukesh immediately went and check on him after the incident.
Real captain of India B : Rishabh Pant. pic.twitter.com/hIc6XkCnfZ
— PantMP4. (@indianspirit070) September 7, 2024
Meanwhile, former India wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya hailed Musheer Khan for his “strong mindset” and said the young batter will be an asset for Indian team in future if he maintains consistency.
Musheer impressed everyone, making a valiant 181 for India B against India A in the on-going Duleep Trophy at Bengaluru on Friday.
His innings and a 205-run alliance with Navdeep Saini for the eighth wicket helped India B come back from a precarious 94 for seven and post 321 in the first innings.
“What makes Musheer different is his mindset, which is very strong. I can't predict the future but if he keeps on scoring runs consistently, he could be a very good option for the Indian team,” Dahiya told PTI videos.
Dahiya was in awe of Musheer's consistency.
“The standout thing about his batting is his consistency. He started off from where he left the last season. He scored runs in the Ranji Trophy semifinal and final and then a hundred on the opening day of domestic cricket in 2024,” Dahiya said.
“Musheer started off as a left-arm spinner and eventually his transformation to batting reflects that, “Agar aap mehnat se kisi cheez ke peeche pad jaaye, shiddat se kisi cheez ke peeche pad jaaye to wo zarur milti hai (if you work hard for something, you will get it eventually”, he said.
Dahiya, who is the head coach of Purani Dilli 6 in the ongoing Delhi Premier League, said interacting with seniors like Rishabh Pant and Ishant Sharma was a learning experience for budding talents in the DPL.
“Rishabh Pant played just a match but the time he spent with boys in the hotel and in the practice motivated them.
“Ishant attended all the practice sessions and spent time with each of the boys. Unfortunately, he couldn't play due to an injury,” he said.
“All the boys praised Rishabh and Ishant because they never let them feel inferior to them. Instead, they felt a sense of belongingness and it calmed their nerves,” he added.