The 19-year-old Musheer Khan etched his name in the record books by becoming the youngest Mumbai batter to score a century in the Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Musheer's extraordinary feat unfolded in the second innings against Vidarbha, where he broke Sachin Tendulkar's 29-year-old record and drew the attention of the cricketing world with a remarkable innings of 136.
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who was present in the stands, witnessed the young prodigy surpassing his record set back in the 1994/95 season. Sachin had achieved the milestone a month short of his 22nd birthday, helping Mumbai clinch the title with twin centuries against Punjab.
Musheer's splendid innings came in the face of a top-order wobble for Mumbai, who began the second day with a 119-run lead from the first innings. Despite the dismissals of openers Prithvi Shaw and Bhupen Lelwani, Musheer, along with captain Ajinkya Rahane, displayed resilience, ending the day at 141 for two overnight.
On day 3, after Rahane's departure at 73, Musheer continued to accumulate runs, forming a crucial partnership with Shreyas Iyer. The 90th over witnessed Musheer reaching his second First-Class double century in three games. However, his scintillating innings came to an end at 136, as he was trapped lbw by Harsh Dubey at the stroke of Tea.
Musheer had previously turned his maiden First-Class century into a double ton during the quarterfinal match against Baroda, becoming the second-youngest batter from Mumbai to achieve this feat after Wasim Jaffer.
As Mumbai aims for its record 42nd Ranji Trophy title in their 48th final, they currently stand at 357/6 at Tea on Day 3 in the second inning, boasting a massive 476-run lead against Vidarbha. Mumbai, with a rich history of 41 Ranji Trophy victories across 47 finals, seems poised to add another championship to their illustrious tally.
Meanwhile, Vidarbha, playing in their third Ranji final, looks to challenge Mumbai's dominance after winning in successive seasons between 2017-19. The cricketing world eagerly awaits the outcome of this historic clash at the Wankhede Stadium.