Sarfaraz Khan has been making waves in the cricketing world lately. Over the past two seasons, the Mumbai batsman has been in scintillating form for his state team in the Ranji Trophy, amassing more than 900 runs in each of the last two seasons.
However, despite his impressive batting performances, Khan was unfortunately overlooked for selection in the Indian team for the first two Test matches against Australia, which will take place in Nagpur and Delhi next month. The 25-year-old cricketer will be hoping to make a strong case for selection in the upcoming matches.
There were high odds that the former India U-19 cricketer would be selected for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches due to his impressive performances in domestic cricket, yet he was overlooked and instead the world's No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav earned his first India Test call-up alongside wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan. This unexpected move has sent shockwaves throughout the cricketing world, as many had expected the former U-19 cricketer to be the one to receive the call-up.
Sarfaraz was crestfallen when he didn't receive an India call-up, but he responded in the best way possible by scoring a century against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match earlier this week. Sarfaraz has a strong bond with his father, Naushad Khan, who also serves as his coach.
Naushad recently shared a touching story about the Mumbai batter, which also included Arjun Tendulkar, the son of legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. In an interview with The Indian Express, Sarfaraz's father recounted a past incident that moved him to tears. He said that Sarfaraz had said something so heartwarming that it touched his heart.
Naushad recalled the time when Sarfaraz attended junior games and encountered Arjun Tendulkar. One day, Sarfaraz approached him and said, "Abbu, Arjun, what luck he has! He has all the luxuries of life, like cars, iPads, and more. At that moment, the cricketer's father felt a sense of helplessness and was unable to respond, but then Sarfaraz returned and embraced his dad tightly, adding, "I'm luckier than him because my dad gets to spend the entire day with me. Arjun's father doesn't get to spend enough time with him."
Interestingly, the bond between Sarfaraz and his father has been undeniably strong, as the young athlete receives invaluable advice from his father before and during important matches.
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