'I play in the hope that I get better every day' - Sarfaraz Khan not fussed about Team India call-up

The Ranji Trophy 2022 saw many remarkable performances from cricketers all throughout the nation, but Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan stood out as a special talent among the lot.  He has frequently dazzled spectators in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but this year he made sure that his power-hitting abilities in the longest format were also recognized.

Sarfaraz had a strong finish to the 2022 campaign, scoring 982 runs in just nine innings while averaging an astounding 122.75. He smashed 93 boundaries and 19 sixes during the competition. Additionally, he scored four centuries, which is second-most this season, including the one in the ultimate clash versus Madhya Pradesh, who were crowned the champions.

Mumbai, a group that has won the championship 41 times, may not have won the match, but the 24-year-old has undoubtedly made a lasting impression on Indian selectors. Sunil Gavaskar, a Mumbai veteran, and former India captain, even stated that he wouldn’t be shocked if Sarfaraz is selected for the Indian Test team.

When there were talks about him being roped into the Indian test side for the Bangladesh series, Sarfaraz had mentioned it earlier that he was not worried about the India call-up, and his focus was completely on his game. The Mumbai sensation was overwhelmed after knowing about Gavaskar’s views on him.

“It’s a matter of great honour that he thinks so highly of me. If you go to any cricket ground and ask any child practising there what his ultimate goal is, his answer would be that he wants to play for India. I also have the same dream. But my Abbu says, ‘trust the process’. I play in the hope that I get better every day. This is my passion; this is what I have always wanted to do, and I never want to come out of this zone. When it will be in my luck, I will play for India,” Sarfaraz told Indian Express.

In my off-season also, I will pay attention to my health and fitness: Sarfaraz Khan

The fitness angle has always been a matter of discussion when Sarfaraz is being talked about. When people speak about Sarfaraz, fitness has always come up. When the young man was a member of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2015–16, he disclosed that even Virat Kohli had once spoken to him on the subject. Sarfaraz had promised to take his commitment to ‘health and fitness’ more seriously.

“When I played IPL in 2015-16, my fitness level was not good, and Virat Kohli had also told me that. After that, I improved my fitness, but I again put on weight. But in the last two years, I have been very disciplined about my health. Everyone’s body is different, but it should not affect my game. For the last eight years, I have been in the IPL and clearing fitness tests. In my off-season also, I will pay attention to my health and fitness,” he added

“When we were not informed about diet practices, we used to eat anything. But now, we are strict about our diet. In our house, we used to have non-vegetarian food every day. However, now we avoid eating biryani and other rice dishes. We either eat it on Sundays or on other occasions,” he concluded.