By Amarnath Devaji

Musheer Khan has been a revelation in India’s dominant World Cup campaign so far, leading the run-scoring charts with 334 runs in five games.

Along the way, he has scored two centuries – against Ireland and New Zealand – and is the only player in the tournament to have more than one ton to their name.

However, all these achievements don’t mean much to Musheer Khan, who would much rather have the World Cup trophy in his hands by the end of the tournament.

“I am happy with my performances but I won't be satisfied until we win the World Cup,” Musheer said speaking to ICC. “As far as being the highest run-getter, I don't really want to think about it.

“Since we started playing the tournament, it was only about winning the World Cup and that's what we are focussing on. I only want to do well for the team and take the results as they come.”

Musheer comes from a family of cricketing brilliance, with his older brother Sarfaraz playing in the U19 World Cup in 2014 and 2016. He was recently part of the India squad for the second Test against England.

Having observed the journey of his brother from close quarters, Musheer has drawn a lot of inspiration from how he has navigated through various challenges.

Revealing the conversation between the two before the U19 World Cup, Musheer recalled the words that have motivated him to perform remarkably well in the tournament so far.

“I have learnt a lot from Sarfaraz – right from how he bats to how he is always thinking about winning the game for his team to how he builds his innings,” he added.

“Even as he was knocking on the doors of the Indian team, his focus was always on scoring runs and on the process without worrying about the result. My focus too is on the process.”

“The first thing he told me [before the U19 World Cup] was that there is no bigger pride than playing for India. He told me to enjoy myself on the field and whenever I get a chance – be it with the bat or ball – you have to pull the team up in any situation and win the game. 

“He told me to play with all my heart because you are representing the country.”

On the eve of the semi-final against hosts South Africa, Musheer exuded confidence, dispelling any hint of nervousness associated with the knockout stage or the burden of being reigning champions.

“There is no nervousness,” Musheer noted. “We view the semi-final as just another match, just as we did in the league stages and Super Six. We are not taking extra pressure.

“We are just looking to stick to our roles in the team, focusing on the process and the results will come.”

“We are preparing to the best of our abilities. Otherwise, we are taking this as a normal match and trying to give our best.”