Test batsman Sarfaraz Khan has revealed that his next goal is to play for India in white-ball cricket. And for that, he is keen to train harder and keep improving his game.
As table-toppers Mumbai’s host Delhi at the MCA-BKC ground in their last Elite Group ‘D’ Ranji Trophy match beginning on Thursday, all eyes will be on Sarfaraz, 28, who scored his first century — 227 versus Hyderabad — of the ongoing Ranji season last week.
Sarfaraz did a batting session earlier in the day at Azad Maidan and followed it up with another session with the Mumbai team at the MCA-BKC ground on Wednesday and was aiming to bat again at his home too later.
“I try to stay in the present. I can’t do anything about the past and don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Today [Wednesday] I know I’ll go home and bat. I’ll spend time with my dad [Naushad] and then go to the [Mumbai team] hotel and sleep. I want to keep practising and improving. I’m working hard in white-ball [cricket]. I want to play for India in white-ball and I’m focusing on that,” Sarfaraz, who has played six Tests, scoring 371 runs with the help of one century, told reporters on Wednesday.
Last month Sarfaraz, was not part of the first three games of Mumbai’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy [SMAT] campaign, but finished the tournament with 329 runs (including one century and three half-tons).
He then scored 303 runs during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“I don’t know why I didn’t get a chance [in the first three games of the SMAT]. Then [Shivam] Dube took rest for one match and I scored a hundred [100 off 47 balls vs Assam]. Whether it’s red-ball or white-ball [format], you have to put your heart into both and work hard,” added Sarfaraz.
Meanwhile, Delhi, who are yet to register their first win in six games this season and are struggling at sixth position with nine points, will be without regular skipper Ayush Badoni and batter Priyansh Arya, who have been picked for India ‘A’ and will play in the T20 World Cup warm-up game against USA at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 2.
In Badoni’s absence, Delhi’s top run-getter this season Ayush Doseja (790 runs) will lead the team.
329
No. of runs scored by Sarfaraz in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
303
No. of runs scored by Sarfaraz in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
