Did you know? Sarfaraz Khan had given up hopes of representing the Indian senior men’s team – at least for the foreseeable future – when he received his Test call-up. The India youngster, whose agonisingly long wait of getting named in the India squad finally ended earlier this week, cannot wait to see what lies ahead, which he hopes is a potential India debut. The chances of Sarfaraz getting a game are touch-and-go. He may come in for KL Rahul given his ability of playing spin, or be left behind in the pecking order to Rajat Patidar.
Either way, Sarfaraz is over the moon that he finally made his way into the 15. Having put years of hard work and grind in the domestic circuit – which saw Sarfaraz score 556 runs in six Ranji Trophy games in 2022/23 and 1910 runs across two editions of the tournament at an average of 136.42, Sarfaraz was finally rewarded and the wait, he says, was worth it.
“This game is all about patience. If we have to play Test cricket, we have to be patient. In life, there are times when we rush ourselves. I used to get teary-eyed waiting to get into the team. My father would always say ‘Keep working hard and you will be unstoppable’. Having self-belief and patience is very important. I am happy for my father. In a country that boasts such a big population, it is a proud feeling to be a part of this Indian team,” he said in a video uploaded by BCCI.
Sarfaraz, whose bat hasn’t stopped making noise in the games between India A and England Lions, revealed he was gearing up to play Ranji Trophy for Mumbai when he got to know about his maiden India call-up. With scores of 96, 55 and 161 in three of his last four outings, it was only a matter of time before Sarfaraz took a step closer to his dream.
Sarfaraz Khan’s recurring dream
For Sarfaraz, 26, getting selected in the Test squad is the stuff of emotions. All he had wanted to do since Sarfaraz was a kid, was represent his country, and Friday might just be that day, or not. But now that he is so close, nothing can pull him down.
“I was getting ready to play Ranji Trophy. I had kept my bags packed. I got a call suddenly that I had been selected. I didn’t believe it in the beginning. My father was at our native place, I called him and he turned emotional too. My wife, my mother and my father, they all got emotional. Everyone knows that he [my father] is my coach. My only dream has been to fulfil his desire of me playing for the country,” he added.
“After the call-up, it does feel that the hard work has finally paid off. I had dreamt that my India A teammates were congratulating me and shaking hands. It was a recurring dream that I was playing for India and scoring runs. As they say, everything happens for a reason.”
[ad_2]