Sarfaraz Khan on his dad’s ambitions for Team India: “There Wasn’t Much Support”

After great anticipation, Sarfaraz Khan made his much awaited international debut, thrilling the crowd with a knock of 62 off 66 balls.

Since he started playing cricket at the age of six. Sarfaraz Khan’s only goal has been to represent his father as an international player. Two decades later, the Mumbaikar’s ambition came true on Thursday when, in front of the third match against England. None other than former captain Anil Kumble gave him his Test cap, bringing his father Naushad to tears.

He scored a half-century, as was to be expected, and could have scored more had it not been for the non-striker’s run-out after a mix-up with the unbeaten centurion Ravindra Jadeja.

But the 26-year-old was too happy to be complaining.

“Getting the cap in front of my father and landing on the ground for the first time.” When he started my cricket (training), I was six years old. After India’s 326/5 victory at the close of the day’s play. Sarfaraz Khan told the local media, “It was my dream to play for the Indian team in front of him.”

Sarfaraz Khan, the Test cap No. 311 for India, performed admirably, scoring 62 quickly.

On Thursday, Naushad was overwhelmed. He arrived in Rajkot on the eve of the match, not even knowing that he would be visiting to witness his son.

Sarfaraz’s wife was beside his father as the Khan family was overcome with excitement, hugs, and tears.

“I spent nearly four hours in the dressing room being strapped up. I kept telling myself that I have plenty of patience in life and that it wouldn’t hurt to have some more.

Sarfaraz described his Test experience, saying. “After I went in, I was nervous for the first few balls but I have practiced and worked so hard that everything went well.”

According to Sarfaraz khan, nothing matters more to him than representing India while his father is around to support him.

“My father had always wanted to play for India. But for a variety of reasons—including a lack of support from parents at the time it was not possible to fulfil his goal. He put a lot of effort into me, and he’s currently working hard on my brother. He added, “It was the happiest moment of my life.”

“Runs and performances were not on my mind as much as I was happy playing for India in front of my father,” he stated.

“Someone insisted that he go to Rajkot even though he wasn’t prepared to go there. Given that he had worked so hard for this day alone, it was obvious that he had to visit. “Both my wife and he were overcome with emotion when I accepted the cap in front of them.

After an exciting day, he expressed his feelings, saying. “I felt like some pressure was off my shoulders given the hard work he had put in on me and I did not waste it.”

Sarfaraz on his dismissal.

With strong sweeps and lofted hits down the ground, Sarfaraz khan erased his initial nerves. But he called his dismissal—the run out at the non-striker’s end—a case of “miscommunication”.

It is included in the game. In cricket, miscommunication occurs. Sometimes you get the runs, and sometimes you run out of gas,” he remarked.

“During lunch, I asked Jadeja to have a conversation with me while we were playing. I enjoy having conversations while playing. this was my first time.

“I told him to stay in touch with me while I’m playing when I go out to bat. Sarfaraz continued, “He didn’t stop talking and gave me a lot of support while I was batting.

Any player knows how difficult it is to grind out years of domestic cricket, score runs year after year, and never get called up to the national team.

Sarfaraz khan claimed that the taste of domestic cricket was almost identical to that of international cricket.

Since there has been a lot of waiting, at first I felt uncomfortable. Later on, though, I felt like I had accomplished everything; once I was in my flow, it was easy,” he remarked.

“Difference is there, you do not have crowds in first-class cricket and you do not come across national players much,” he stated.

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