IND vs NZ U19 World Cup 2024 IND beat NZ by 214

IND vs NZ U19 World Cup : Musheer Khan Scores Second Century of the Tournament

In their opening game in the Super Six stage of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, former champions India crushed New Zealand, winning handily by 214 runs in an exciting match played on Tuesday, January 30, in South Africa.

Top-order batsman Musheer Khan stole the stage as he scored his second century of the tournament, showcasing his extraordinary abilities. Musheer’s remarkable performance included a 126-ball 131 that showcased a remarkable demonstration of power hitting, with three sixes and thirteen boundaries. Despite a late comeback by the New Zealand U19 squad, this outstanding effort enabled India post a formidable total of 295/8 in 50 overs.

Musheer has already proven himself to be a formidable opponent according to his prior tournament performances. In the group stage, he had hit a spectacular 118 against Ireland. In India’s following game, he struck a reliable 73 against the USA. His ability to score runs consistently has surely been a major factor in India’s success thus far.

India were in sensational form in their #U19WorldCup 2024 Super Six fixture against New Zealand 👌#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/OFqxdsZwh6

— ICC (@ICC) January 30, 2024

Saumy Pandey Takes Four Wickets

But Musheer wasn’t the only player who excelled in this match. Saumy Pandey, a left-arm spinner, was also a major contributor, with an outstanding 4-19. The bowling prowess of Pandey ultimately proved to be the undoing of the New Zealand side, who were dismissed for just 81 runs in 28.1 overs. The fact that just three Kiwi hitters reached double digits demonstrated how dominant the Indian bowling attack was.

After New Zealand won the toss and chose to field, India’s strategy in the opening Powerplay was unaffected by the early nine-run loss of the centurion from the previous game, Arshin Kulkarni. The surface was in the batsmen’s favour, as Adarsh Singh (52) and Musheer Khan (40) went bravely for their shots, with the ball coming off the bat easily and the outfield being fast.

India went into the second Powerplay with a consistent scoring rate of about six runs per over. As both batsmen persisted in their assault, India reached 100 runs in the seventeenth over. Adarsh struck six boundaries during his fifty off 57 balls, but he was out as he tried to hit Zac past the covers.

Musheer and Saharan Build a Solid Partnership

However, Musheer found a dependable ally in captain Uday Saharan, and the two of them steadied the innings. Musheer’s outstanding form was on display as he reached his third fifty-plus score of the tournament in the 25th over.

Oliver Tewatiya made an unsuccessful effort at a sweep, instead top-edging straight to the fielder. Throughout the middle overs, New Zealand was able to effectively limit India’s scoring pace to about five runs per over. In the 11th and 40th overs, the Indian side scored 145 runs in total.

India’s aggressive batting led them to a possible 300 runs thanks to Musheer. In the 43rd over of the event, the gifted 18-year-old batsman reached his second consecutive century, needing 109 balls to reach the mark. He hit one six and ten boundaries in his innings. After hitting his century, Musheer then picked up speed, scoring 31 more runs off only 17 balls. He hit two sixes and three fours in this span.

India cemented their leadership in Group 1 with six points from three Super Six games. On February 2, they will play Nepal at the same location.

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