Sarfaraz Khan has finally made his debut for India in Test Cricket in the 3rd Test of the ongoing India vs England Test Series. He has equalled the record for the fastest 50 for an Indian on debut by reaching the milestone in just 48 deliveries. Sarfaraz Khan looked in exceptional touch as he smashed the England bowlers all around the corner. The moment when Sarfaraz Khan received his Test debut cap was quite emotional as he was accompanied by his father Naushad Khan and wife Romana Zahoor. Both his father and wife got very emotional as the long due debut of the Sarfaraz Khan finally became a reality.
Sarfaraz Khan and His Father’s Insane Commitment and Struggle
Sarfaraz Khan was born and brought up in the suburbs of Mumbai by his father Naushad Khan. He was inspired and motivated by his father to start a career in cricket. Naushad Khan, the father of Sarfaraz Khan was a cricket coach who used to teach the local kids in the Azad Maidan. He identified the talent of Sarfaraz Khan at a very young age and decided to teach his kid everything he knew about the game of cricket. Naushad even prepared a pitch near his house in the suburbs to let Sarfaraz Khan practice in the monsoon season as it was quite hard to reach the Azad Maidan due to the waterlogging in those times.
Sarfaraz Khan credits his success in the game to his father. Naushad trusted him through every step and guided him through the hardest times in his life to make the dream of his son come true. He was visibly emotional during the debut of Sarfaraz Khan in the Test Cricket. Sarfaraz has also revealed that he was so committed to cricket that he had to skip attending the school for 4 years. During those times, his father, Naushad Khan employed a private tutor for him despite having little to no money in savings.
Glorious Domestic Career of Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan became an overnight sensation when he broke the Harris Shield record of Sachin Tendulkar, set in 1988, by scoring 439 off 421 balls. He was just 12 years old at that time in 2009.
Sarfaraz represented India in the Under-19 World Cups of 2014 and 2016. In the 2014 edition, featuring 16 teams in a round-robin format, India secured the 5th position. Sarfaraz made an impact with 211 runs in six matches, averaging 70.33, including two fifties, and maintaining a strike rate of 105.5.
India was the runners-up in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup held in Bangladesh. Sarfaraz excelled as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament, amassing 355 runs from six innings, boasting five scores exceeding 50, at an impressive average of 71. At the Under-19 level, he holds the record for the most fifties in World Cups, with seven fifties across two tournaments.
Sarfaraz Khan started his Ranji career with Mumbai in 2014 against Bengal. He switched to Uttar Pradesh from the 2015–2016 season. By September 2019, he had played 11 first-class matches, scoring 535 runs, including a top score of 155. He also featured in 12 list A matches, aggregating 257 runs at a strike rate of 96.25. In January 2020, during the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, he notched his first triple century in first-class cricket.
In the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, Sarfaraz showcased his versatility by occasionally taking up wicket-keeping duties. Though familiar with keeping from his junior days, this marked his first senior cricket experience behind the stumps.
What Lies Ahead for Sarfaraz Khan?
Sarfaraz Khan will look to make it big in the Test Cricket. He has been called the Don Bradman of domestic cricket by Sunil Gavaskar and he will look to carry that reputation in the international cricket. His first inning in the Test Cricket was quite phenomenal. Unfortunately, Sarfaraz Khan was run-out on 62.