"The younger brother might go ahead of the elder one" - Aakash Chopra reckons Musheer Khan might outshine Sarfaraz Khan

Aakash Chopra has picked Musheer Khan among the most impressive Indian players in the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup. He reckons the spin-bowling all-rounder might have outperformed his elder brother Sarfaraz Khan by the end of their respective careers.

Australia defeated India by 79 runs in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup final in Benoni on Sunday, February 11. Musheer, who amassed 360 runs and picked up seven wickets in as many games in the tournament, scored a 33-ball 22 and registered figures of 1/46 in nine overs in the title decider.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked Sachin Dhas and Uday Saharan as two of India's most impressive players in the Under-19 World Cup. He also praised Musheer's performances, elaborating (4:30):

"I liked Musheer a lot. When their careers finish in the end, the younger brother might go ahead of the elder one. The good thing about him (Musheer) is that he has got the gift of timing.

"He plays very well on his legs and plays well straight too. Whenever the ball is in that range, he plays extremely well. The kid plays spin very well and plays some good unconventional shots too," the former India opener added.

However, Chopra pointed out an area of improvement in the youngster's game. He stated:

"He will have to work on one thing. The backfoot play is slightly weak. He got a life in the final and got out in the slips in the semi-final as well. If you have to play long, you will have to work hard on your game against the short ball."

Chopra expects Musheer to overcome his issues against the short ball, reasoning that he has seen his father putting him through the hard yards by bowling bouncers with the sidearm from 12 yards. He added that the Mumbaikar is a very decent package for white-ball cricket, noting that he is a utility left-arm spinner and a decent fielder as well.

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"He bowls with great control and his speed variation is very good" - Aakash Chopra on Saumy Pandey

Saumy Pandey (second from left) picked up 18 wickets in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. [P/C: Getty]

Aakash Chopra named Saumy Pandey as another Indian player who stood out with his performances. He said (5:45):

"Then let's go towards Saumy Pandey. He was the highest wicket-taker for us. He bowls left-arm spin and was also the vice-captain of this team. He bowls with great control and his speed variation is very good. He is a very decent player. I liked his temperament a lot."

The reputed commentator reckons Raj Limbani could also be a player in focus going forward.

"I liked Raj Limbani. He bowls good inswing with pace. He hit the opener's stumps in the final as well. The ball pitched, went in and hit the stumps. So there will be a little focus on Raj Limbani as he is also very, very good," he stated.

While observing that Arshin Kulkarni and Adarsh Singh also fared well in patches, Chopra opined that the Indian players showed a lot of potential and promise. He concluded by noting that the youngsters would be extremely sad about failing to cross the final hurdle as the Indian board doesn't allow them to play more than one Under-19 World Cup.