He last played for India in November of 2024, but Sarfaraz Khan is doing everything required of him to change that trivia. The batter from Mumbai has shed weight, and more importantly, is piling heaps of runs in domestic cricket. With scores of 157, 55, and 62 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and a mammoth 227-run knock against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy, Sarfaraz is knocking doors of the selectors harder than before.
Sarfaraz has found support from those on and off the ground, with Mohammad Azharuddin being the most prominent of the lot. The former India captain was glad to see Sarfaraz get back to scoring big runs after spending time with him. In a recent interview, Sarfaraz credited Azharuddin for helping him train against reverse-swing; in fact, The Sportstar reports that the youngster waited for almost 45 minutes to meet Azharuddin as the former cricketer wrapped up his appointments.
“At the end of the day, he went and played. He scored those runs, and he should take all the accolades. I am very thankful that he took my name, but it was not required. As long as he scores runs and succeeds, I am very happy. That will be the best gift he can give me,” Azharuddin told Sportstar.
“He is a good, attacking player who can change the situation of a game very quickly. He doesn’t like being dominated by the bowler. As a batsman, you need to score runs. If you allow a good bowler to dominate, you are in trouble. I don’t know how the pitch was, but I believe the ball was swinging and the bounce was variable. So for him to score at a good rate underlines his quality.”
Sarfaraz made his debut for India in the 2024 home Test series against England and immediately made a mark, scoring an electric 62, followed by 68 in the second innings. He scored a third half-century in the Dharamsala Test before smashing a career-best 150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru, a game which India lost. Sarfaraz was part of India’s Test squad that toured Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but did not play. He was then dropped from the England tour and has yet to be recalled.
‘Sarfaraz deserves another chance’
Azharuddin was impressed by Sarfaraz’s hunger and never-say-die attitude. Convinced by what he saw in the youngster, he recalled receiving help from a former Pakistan great. At the same time, Azhar urged the BCCI’s selection committee, led by its chairman Ajit Agarkar, to give Sarfaraz one more chance to don the whites for India.
“He wants to learn. Even after playing for India and then scoring runs, he still wants to learn. That’s a very good sign. Because nobody is perfect. Zaheer Abbas showed me what to change in myself and how, when I was struggling. He showed me how to play fast bowling and swing bowling,” Azharuddin added.
“He [Sarfaraz] deserves another chance to play for India. He has scored runs everywhere, and India needs good attacking players. If you are scoring runs but you still don’t get a chance, it gets very disappointing. But I’m sure he will get it very soon.”
