Sarfaraz Khan's father reveals emotional story behind his son's India jersey number

Sarfaraz Khan had a memorable outing with the bat on his Test debut, scoring a fine 62 off 66 balls.

 By Monojit Das Feb 17, 2024, 12:55 IST
Naushad Khan reveals reason behind jersey number?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4
Naushad Khan got emotional as his son finally made his India debut at Rajkot.

Sarfaraz Khan's Test debut is truly an inspiration for the upcoming yougsters who aim to represent their country. The debutant has done some hard yards before he received the India Test cap from Anil Kumble. He scored huge amount of runs in domestic cricket consistently, which paved his way into the national side.

Sarfaraz's father Naushad Khan had a huge role to play in his success. He used to pay opposition teams to play a match so that his son can bat and also built a pitch outside their Mumbai house. Through Sarfaraz, Naushad Khan is living the dream.

"It was my dream that what I could not do, he will. It felt like I wore the Test cap through him. He has been in a tight regime since his childhood. He has never flown kites, nor gone to hang out with his friends. He used to wake up early in the morning and go to practice. Later he would return home in the evening and practice again. When he received the cap, it felt worth it," Naushad said on his conversation with Aaj Tak.

'I am playing Test cricket through him': Naushad Khan on Sarfaraz Khan's debut

"I am playing Test cricket through him. He wears my name on his back 9 and 7, which is Nau-Saat, my name - Naushad. I am happy as both coach and father," Naushad Khan added.

Walking on his brother's footsteps, Sarfaraz's brother Musheer Khan was also seen sporting the number 97 on his jersey during the recently concluded ICC U19 World Cup.

Apart from this, Naushad Khan also spoke how he taught his son the hardships of life and remembers the nights in which his son has slept without food. "I have been harsh to him, but that has been done to him for a reason. The nights that he has slept without food, that was to teach him how the people sleeping on the footpath felt We had a car but forced him to travel by train so that he learns the hardships of life," he said.

Read: This Indian player urged Sarfaraz's dad to watch son's Test debut despite being sick

Sarfaraz Khan had a memorable debut with the bat as he scored a blistering 66-ball-62 which included some 9 fours and 1 six down the ground. He was unfortunately run-out but showed plenty of promise during his innings.

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