After playing for India, I have 1.5 million Instagram followers: Sarfaraz Khan

Young batting star Sarfaraz Khan has become an overnight sensation after his dream debut in India's recent 4-1 Test series win over England. Sarfaraz was one of five Indian debutants in the historic series win under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. He made an instant impact, hitting three half-centuries across the three Tests he played.

The 26-year-old recently appeared at India Today Conclave in New Delhi and made some surprising revelations of his rise in popularity on Instagram, a social media platform. The Mumbai-born shared that ever since making his India debut, he has breached the 1.5-million followers on Instagram.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2024 in New Delhi, Sarfaraz joked about the massive spike in his social media popularity. “For the last 4 years, it was 600–700k followers on Instagram. Suddenly, after playing for India, it has become 1.5 million. It's good,” Sarfaraz shared.

His scores of 62 & 68* in his debut Test in Rajkot, 14 & 0 in Ranchi, and 56 in Dharamsala were a testament to the selectors' belief in the youngster. Sarfaraz's ability to adapt so quickly is made more impressive by his long wait for a Test cap.

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I felt pressure playing my maiden series: Sarfaraz

Recalling his emotional debut alongside his father Naushad Khan, Sarfaraz said, “From my childhood, I have been hearing stories about the importance of Test cricket. My father kept telling me the importance of the longest format of the game, It's not like there was no pressure, I felt pressure when playing my maiden series.”

His father Naushad's emotional reaction after he received his Test cap on Day 1 in Rajkot captured the weight of the moment. Sarfaraz handed his father the cap, who kissed it while tears streamed down his face. Throughout the series, Sarfaraz actively shared his journey on Instagram, posting photos and video clips while interacting with his growing fanbase. He even shared memes created by fans celebrating his performances. Sarfaraz was joined by another debutant, Dhruv Jurel at the conclave. Jurel scored 190 runs in the three-Test played.

The wicket-keeper stepped up when it mattered the most. He hit 90 runs in the first innings of the 4th Test in Ranchi to take India out of a tricky situation. He was even awarded the Player of the Match award for his brilliant performance.

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Talking about England's Bazball approach, the 23-year-old cricketer said,“"It's their style of playing Test cricket. Indians have their way of playing Test cricket. If you have 5 days to play, why not utilize them all? In Test cricket, you have to win sessions. If you have to play Test cricket, you have to stay at the moment and win sessions.” 

Dhruv Jurel will be seen playing in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2024 for Rajasthan Royals. While Sarfaraz who was not picked by any franchise in this edition of the cash-rich tournament might get a call-up in case of an injury replacement.