The Indian cricket team is on a 42-day break after a white-ball series against Sri Lanka. They will now host Bangladesh for a two-match test and 3-match T20I series, commencing on September 19. When Team India played its last test series in February-March, Sarfaraz Khan was a part of the squad in the absence of some big names. He even played a few games and performed well to contribute to a series win against England.
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Now, Sarfaraz Khan might not feature in the upcoming India vs Bangladesh test series as some of the regular middle-order batters might come back. Sarfaraz too is not expecting anything from the upcoming series but continues to work hard for future opportunities. Today, we will see what Sarfaraz Khan has to say on the India vs Bangladesh series and what he was doing when not playing competitive cricket. So let’s start.
Sarfaraz Khan to not feature in the upcoming India vs Bangladesh series
An aggressive middle-order batter from Mumbai might not be a part of the upcoming India vs Bangladesh test series. He made his debut earlier this year in February-March in a 5-match test series against England at home. The 26-year-old youngster showed glimpses of his talent in that series by contributing crucial runs in the series. In 5 innings of the 3 tests he played in that series, Sarfaraz scored 200 runs with an average of 50 and with an astonishing strike rate of almost 80.
But now, with the middle order regulars like Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul likely to return, Sarfaraz might find it difficult to get the nod in the test squad. The youngster is not looking too far ahead and tries to focus on the process. Due to the heavy rains in Mumbai, he went back to his native village Uttar Pradesh (UP) for better training facilities.
“I’m not looking at the Bangladesh series. But I’ve to follow the process and be ready. This (playing matches) is very important for me. I’ve not had this level of practice in Mumbai because of the rains. You are just facing a bowling machine, side-arm throwers, or sometimes bowlers in indoor facilities. But I don’t like batting indoors because the ball comes nicely onto the bat. It is not the case on turf because it will challenge you a lot. And you can only improve by practicing hard,” Sarfaraz Khan told Indian Express.
Sarfaraz said he has zero expectations from the upcoming India vs Bangladesh series. But, he will be ready if the opportunity arises. He said – “I have zero expectations… But I’ll be ready if the opportunity arises. That is what I’ve been doing all along and I don’t see any reason to change that.”
Sarfaraz Khan hasn’t played competitive cricket for a while
Sarfaraz Khan hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the last test against England at home on March 07, 2024. A five-month break for any cricketer/sportsperson is not good as they need that rhythm and mojo before going into the big game. But, there is no off-season for the youngster as he continues to work hard on his fitness in the gym, running hard, and training well.
“There is nothing called off-season for me. I would wake up by 4.15 am and by 4.30 am, I would start the day with long-distance running. It was very helpful to improve my fitness because, by the end of the month, I was able to run 5 km in 30-31 minutes,” – Sarfaraz on what he does when not playing cricket.
“It was my priority and we (his father Naushad and him) put a plan in place. So once I’m done with my running, I would hit the gym. So the first half of the day was allotted for fitness and fielding drills. The batting part would begin in the evening.” – he added.
Right now, Sarfaraz is playing for Mumbai in the Buchi Babu Tournament. He will also play for the India B team in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, starting on September 05 in Anantapur. Anantapur will host all 6 games of the tournament across 2 venues (3 matches each).
Conclusion
So this is what Sarfaraz Khan has to say about his upcoming plans. We have seen how hard he works in the training and on his fitness. He did well in domestic cricket for the last few years, scoring lots of runs. He also showed his worth in the 3 tests he played against England at home. His aggressive approach has worked for him and also puts fear in the opposition bowler’s mind.
Players like Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul missed a large part of the home series against England at home due to injuries. Now, when they come back in the squad along with Virat Kohli (who also missed the whole series), Sarfaraz Khan has to wait for his turn. We know what he can do with the bat. If he gets the opportunity in the future, he will look to make it count.
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FAQs:-
(1) Has Sarfaraz played any ODI or T20I for India?
No. Sarfaraz hasn’t played any white-ball game for Team India yet.
(2) How many runs Sarfaraz Khan has scored in IPL?
In 50 games in the IPL so far, he scored 585 runs with an average of 22.5 and with a strike rate of 130.58. He has one fifty to his name with a highest score of 67.
(3) Whom will Team India play after the Bangladesh series?
After hosting Bangladesh for 2 tests and 3 T20Is, Team India will host New Zealand for a 3-match test series.
