- Sarfaraz Khan: ‘Every day I ask myself why I should work harder’ The Mumbai batsman last played for India two years ago but is unfazed by that as he continues to score runs domestically. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all smiling after dismissing Pat Cummins. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all smiling after dismissing Pat Cummins. India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 Sarfaraz last played for India almost two years ago, against New Zealand at their home stadium, the Wankhede Stadium.
- However, he returned to the Indian team for the two Tests in Sri Lanka in August this year, replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan.
- He didn’t get a game against Sri Lanka, but he said he learned in the dressing room that he was being monitored mainly because of the conditions in India.
Sarfaraz Khan: ‘Every day I ask myself why I should work harder’ The Mumbai batsman last played for India two years ago but is unfazed by that as he continues to score runs domestically. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all smiling after dismissing Pat Cummins. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all smiling after dismissing Pat Cummins. India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 Sarfaraz last played for India almost two years ago, against New Zealand at their home stadium, the Wankhede Stadium.
However, he returned to the Indian team for the two Tests in Sri Lanka in August this year, replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan. He didn’t get a game against Sri Lanka, but he said he learned in the dressing room that he was being monitored mainly because of the conditions in India. “The selectors didn’t tell me directly, but when I went to the Indian team recently, I heard that they were looking at me more by Indian standards,” he said after Mumbai’s first day Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Brabourne Stadium.
“But I still have a question: When I went to [South] Africa, I scored runs [for India A]. When I went to England I scored a goal. Sometimes when you make a comeback in India and get a rank turner, you suddenly can’t perform well on a difficult wicket after scoring in domestic cricket.
Or if you do, then 30-40-50 runs are enough. But it’s not like I haven’t scored runs outside [India]. I have scored outside too.
Ye unka nazariya hai (This is the view of the selectors). My job is to play cricket. And I will play.” So far, Sarfaraz has played seven first-class matches for India A outside India, scoring 300 runs with three half-centuries at an average of exactly 50.
He played two senior matches in South Africa in 2021, two in Bangladesh in 2022 and two more in South Africa in 2023, as well as just one in England in May 2025. How many Tests will Sarfaraz Khan play in BGT 2024-25? Australia vs India, 1st Test, Perth, November 20, 2024 In his final Test match of 2024, he scored 0 and 1 against New Zealand.
However, he started the series with 150 points. While Sarfaraz returned to the Test team during the recent Test series in India, he was not considered for the Duleep Trophy at the start of the domestic season in September. However, he finished second in the Irani Cup team a month ago against reigning Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir, where he scored 45 and 0.
His eyes then turned to the Indian A team, selected to play New Zealand as a shadow tour ahead of the Test series starting later this month. However, he was not nominated for the three four-day games. Was he expecting a call-up for India A?
Every time a team shows up, I have expectations,” he said. It is in their hands (the voters) to choose me or not. My job is to play cricket.” Meanwhile, Sarfaraz has been busy playing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and scored 1, 154, 40 and lastly 55 in the first innings against Railways on Monday.
After these four innings, he is averaging 62.50 this season but he says returning to domestic cricket after making his debut in the Ranji Trophy in 2014 was not easy. “So many things hpened,” he said during his career when he was part of the Indian team. “It is very difficult to get points every season,” said Sarfaraz.
“I think I still do the same thing I did in the beginning with my dad. It’s the same thing. In the off-season I don’t compete, I continue to practice and hit.
I don’t know how many races I’ll do. “But when I came to the Ranji Trophy 10-11 years ago, I worked just as hard. I have the same routine.
Everyone knows it. If you want to meet Sarfaraz Khan, you don’t have to go to his house, you can meet him at Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan at 6 am. It’s very difficult to start over every year, come every year and work hard. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don’t.
But it’s my job, I can’t do anything. “So much has hpened,” he said. “I am not thinking much.
I wake up every morning and ask myself the same question: Why should I work harder? I played for India but I wake up at 5am and go [to training]. With normal hard work I can play for the Ranji Trophy.
I always have a score of 30, 40, 50, 100. Sometimes these questions cross my mind. If I see that my father is working hard, that he is sweating, then that’s okay.
I will go and score for him. It motivates me to wake up every morning. “Everyone knows that I have no other support in my life.
If I get support, it only comes from my father. Nobody supported me in my life. I worked hard; I fulfilled my father’s dream [by playing for India].
It’s not easy playing for India, especially in this generation. And it’s not like I scored one or two goals and played for India. I scored 300, 200, 250 [in domestic cricket], worked hard and played for India.
“The motivation is to play cricket, that’s all. Whenever I get the opportunity, I will play cricket. I don’t like staying at home out of season.
I think I’m made for cricket. Wherever I get a chance… [If] Ranji Trophy, Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare, IPL, Indian team calls me, I will go. If India A calls me, I will go.
I want to play cricket.” To return to the Test team after his retirement in 2024, Sarfaraz followed a strict training program and weight loss diet last year, losing 20kg from 97kg to his current weight of 77kg. Sarfaraz posted photos of his weight loss on social media which went viral last year, although he claims no one from the Indian team management or Mumbai asked him to do so. “Nobody told me I had to lose weight,” he said.
“But no matter what I heard on social media or from anyone, maybe I should lose weight. Because whatever I hear and what I should work on, that’s what I do in my life. I can’t do anything anymore.
Sarfaraz’s comments reflect that he has accepted the reality that he needs to continue scoring runs even if he does not return to the Indian side soon. “I don’t think much, I just play wherever I get the chance,” he said. “They will call me [again], I will go and play.
Otherwise, I will continue to play [domestic cricket] here. a few years ago, but he remains unfazed as he continues to race on the national circuit
