'It Was My Dream To Play for India With Abbu Watching,’ Says Sarfaraz on Debut

#IndvsEng| Following his Test debut, #SarfarazKhan expresses the joy of playing with his father in attendance.

Sarfaraz Khan of India at PC during the first day of the 3rd Test match between India and England held at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot on the 15th February 2024

Image: Sportzpics

26-year old, right-handed batter, Sarfaraz Khan on Thursday, 15 February made his Test debut, against England in the third India versus England Test at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. 

In his maiden Test appearance, the Mumbai batter scored a fiery 62 runs off 66 balls laced with nine boundaries and a maximum. In the process, he became the joint second-fastest half-century scorer (in just 48 balls) on Test debut.

Although his debut was marked by a regrettable run-out, Sarfaraz had several reasons to be proud. The most significant one was receiving his Test cap before his dad, who also serves as his coach, Naushad Khan.

“It felt really special when I stepped on to the ground and received the cap in my Abbu's presence. I was six years old when he started my cricketing journey. It was my dream to play for the Indian team before his eyes. It felt so good,” Sarfaraz said at the post-match press conference. 

Talking about his father, who couldn't pursue cricket but lived his dream through him, Sarfaraz said, "My Abbu dreamt of playing for India, but he couldn't because of financial constraints. However, he worked really hard for me, and he continues to do the same for my brother (Musheer Khan). This was the proudest moment of my life.”

Sarfaraz Khan's father Naushad Khan got emotional when hi son received his Test cap from former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble.

Image: Sportzpics

On Living Father's Dream

Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket for Mumbai and recently performed well for India 'A' against England Lions. Despite his impressive performances, he missed out on making his Test debut multiple times before. He finally got his first call-up to the Indian team for the second Test in Visakhapatnam when KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja were injured, but Rajat Patidar made his debut instead.

“I always dreamt of playing for the country while my Abbu was around. At first, he wasn't planning to come to the game, but when some people convinced him it would be a moment of great pride, he changed his mind. He felt he had to be there because all the effort he had put in was for this special day,” said Sarfaraz as he spoke about his dream to don the national jersey in his father’s presence.

"I wanted to receive the cap before him. He and my wife became very emotional. It felt like some burden had come off my shoulders and that I didn't waste the hard work he had put in me," he added.

Naushad Khan has been working hard on his son's cricketing career since Sarfaraz was six years old.

Image: Sportzpics

On His Mix-Up With Ravindra Jadeja

When asked about his mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja that resulted in his unfortunate dismissal, Sarfaraz said, “This is part of the game. This happens. After the game he told me it was a miscommunication and I told him it's okay. It's not a big deal, such things happen in the game.

During the match, Sarfaraz and Jadeja were frequently seen chatting. When asked about it, Sarfaraz explained that Jadeja was giving him a lot of support on the field.

“I spoke to him (Ravindra Jadeja) at Lunch. I told him Jaddu bhai, please keep talking to me when we play. This was my first time so I told him to keep talking to me. He supported me a lot,” he revealed.

“When I tried to play the first sweep shot and the ball turned and raced away, he told me to spend some time on the ground and you'll understand everything. I tried that and I was able to score runs,” he added.

Sarfaraz also admitted that he felt nervous at first, but his hard work and preparation paid off, allowing him to settle in comfortably and score runs. “Initially, I was nervous because this was my first time but after playing two-three balls but since I have prepared really well and worked hard, everything went well,” he said.

When questioned about the extended wait before his batting turn, he remarked, “I was sitting all padded up for four hours, I thought I have been patient all my life, I can wait a little more.”