By Sahil Kohli

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 25 (ANI): Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Musheer Khan opened up on his equation with captain and senior Mumbai teammate Shreyas Iyer, and also revealed how he is coping with the demands and pressure of T20 cricket, a format in which he has not made his debut officially.

PBKS will kickstart their IPL 2025 campaign under the leadership of Iyer and Ricky Ponting, the coach, against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 25.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the competition, Musheer said that though he has not made his official T20 debut, he has played it on a different level in the DY Patil T20 Cup tournament.

'I have played T20 cricket in the DY Patil tournament. I have played a lot of club-level cricket. There is a difference between red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket. I have prepared accordingly and will try implementing it when I get a chance. I would try to give my best in all departments,' said Musheer, who has so far played nine first-class games for Mumbai, having made 716 runs in 15 innings at an average of 51.14, with three centuries and a fifty.

Speaking on the pressure of IPL, which has become a high-scoring competition as of late, Musheer said that the nervousness is always there.

'I try coming out of it (the nervousness) as soon as possible. I have not faced any nervousness in big, high-pressure matches so far. I try to enjoy it, it is fun. I have got to play many pressure games so far. I have not experienced the pressure of IPL myself, but I know the high amount of pressure since I have seen my brother (Sarfaraz) play in it. I could feel that pressure with my eyes. The Ranji Trophy has its own pressure, there are so many big teams,' he added.

Musheer also shares a great equation with his captain Iyer, who is his senior teammate for Mumbai domestic team.

'I am having a lot of fun with him as a captain. I have played Ranji Trophy with him and I have learnt a lot from him, such as his game play, confidence and attitude. In the IPL, I will try learning more by watching him from closed quarters. We are all enjoying with him and trying to learn from him as much as possible,' he added.

Speaking on his communication with Ricky Ponting, the head coach and Australian stars like Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis etc, Musheer said, 'They bring in a lot of confidence. I am having fun with them. They have their way of talking and teaching you and I am enjoying it. Whatever things that suit my game and if it can bring improvements in my game, I am trying to use them.'

On if Iyer's captaincy, Ponting being a head coach, and a healthy mix of foreign stars and Indian talent could click together to help PBKS win their first IPL title, Musheer said that it is not in his control but he is trying to work on what is in his control.

'The vibe is good, the practice has been good so far. The intra-squad matches have been great so far and players have done well. We all hope that everything clicks together and we end the wait for the trophy,' he concluded. (ANI)