'My main idol is Daniel Vettori for bowling and Sachin Tendulkar for batting.'
A long injury lay-off behind him, young all-rounder Musheer Khan is determined to put into action all that he has learnt from Punjab Kings' captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting in the IPL.
The 20-year-old Mumbai all-rounder Musheer is set for return to top flight cricket following a car accident last September, in which he had suffered a fracture to his neck region.
Having recovered completely, Musheer is determined to make an impact in his maiden IPL season and wants to implement all that he has observed skipper Iyer in the domestic circuit from close quarters.
"When I was in the Ranji Trophy with Shreyas bhai last year (2023-24), it was the first time I met him up close," Musheer told PTI.
"I observed him, his attitude and confidence level were very high. He is very positive and I have never seen him speak negatively. I also talked to him about power-hitting, he told me a few things that I keep in my mind while batting," the youngster added.
The young all-rounder also picked up batting tips from Australian great Ponting, whom Musheer has managed to impress in their initial exchanges.
"First of all, we are having a lot of fun with Ricky sir. Just like I told you about Iyer bhai, he also is the same," he said.
"His attitude, the way he speaks, and his mindset are all incredible. I have spoken to him a lot about batting. His pull shot was very good, so I asked him about it and he shared some insights."
"He is always involved in the ground with us, noticing every small mistakes and correcting us. I will try to learn from him as much as possible."
But for Musheer, legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Daniel Vettori are his idols and he wants to emulate their feats on the field.
"My main idol is Daniel Vettori for bowling and Sachin Tendulkar for batting," he said.
"I try to pay a lot of attention on the process. I believe in my idols, so I try to be like them… I don't know if I will ever be like them, but I try to be a little like them in my game," Musheer added.
A right-handed batter and left-arm spinner, Musheer said he has worked hard on improving his white-ball skills after dazzling in Ranji Trophy circuit for Mumbai, helping them win the 2023-24 title.
"I was doing very well in red-ball cricket, but when I came to white-ball cricket, I made a lot of changes to my batting with my father," he said.
"I have changed my technique and my mindset. I have worked on how I can take advantage of the Powerplay, take the game as long as possible by maintaining a good run rate. Only thing left now is to implement it in the match."
Musheer said he has also put in efforts to bring necessary changes while bowling in T20s.
"The length in T20 cricket is very different. I have worked on that a lot. Before coming here, I played many matches. Even before my injury, I played a lot of local tournaments in Mumbai. So, in bowling, whatever weapons I have, I have practiced them all," he said.
With his elder brother Sarfaraz Khan in the Indian Test team mix, Musheer said he wants to be prepared for the future.
"When we are at home, we talk about cricket and what's happening around us. He shares his past experience and advises me to keep myself prepared, whether I get an opportunity or not," he said.
"As our father says, we need to focus on the process and move step by step. We don't have to think too far ahead. We will give 100 per cent, then 200 per cent, and after that, we will trust our fate," he added.
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