Launch the machine After his younger brother Musheer was injured in a car accident and could not play in the Irani Cup match against Rest of India, Sarfaraz Khan promised his family and his Mumbai colleagues that he would score a double hundred.
On the third day of their encounter, Sarfaraz, who is known for scoring large totals, fulfilled his promise with an outstanding 222 to lead Mumbai to a massive 537 all out, even as Musheer recovered from the injury he sustained while traveling to the city for the match with his father Naushad Khan.
“Yes, I’ve had a very emotional week. At the conclusion of the day’s play, Sarfaraz told reporters, “I had promised my family and teammates that if I am set, I will score 200 — a hundred for me and hundred for my brother (Musheer).”
“Abbu (father) would have been more pleased if Musheer had participated in the game. Regretfully, he had an incident. I therefore reasoned that I had to win this match by scoring a double ton.”
The man who is once again pounding on the doors of national selectors has a sibling who is seven years younger than him, according to Sarfaraz, a 26-year-old.
Yes, I did talk to him. “He’s fine, but it will take him two to three months to recover,” stated Sarfaraz, who scored fifty runs in the Dharamsala Test in March against England.
Sarfaraz became the first Mumbai player to score two hundred and fifty in the Irani Cup.
For the remaining eight games of the Test season, his 15th first-class century will undoubtedly remove any doubt about his position as a reserve middle-order hitter.
Asked about his proclivity for making large scores, Sarfaraz stated, “I’m known to play big knocks. I enjoy doing the things I’m recognized for. I needed to bat long for Mumbai too,” he remarked.
“We have a great chance to win the Irani Cup after a lengthy drought. In the back of my mind, I considered playing as long as I could and scoring as many runs as I could to support the team’s victory,” Sarfaraz continued.
On the second day, there was subsurface moisture on the Ekana Stadium track. This dampness caused the ball to seam about at first and gave hitters extra bounce, which made it difficult to hit.
Nothing more needs to be said about Sarfaraz’s brilliant off-side driving or his footwork when facing spinners. He was particularly cruel to left-arm spinner Manav Suthar (0/137 in 37 overs), who appeared to have no idea what to do.
He eventually used the negative leg-stump line, and Sarfaraz would slog sweep it for maximums by either bending down on one knee or slightly inside out.
He continued, “I have played in the Irani Cup earlier and scored a century for the Rest of India,” in reference to his incredible achievement. But because I’m playing for my hometown team, this is a really emotional time for me. I’m working extra hard to help Mumbai win the Cup.
“It’s evident that the weather presented a challenge. Right now, we are playing against some of the top players in India,” he remarked.
“The majority of them are former international cricket players. My goal was to score runs in opposition to them. It was my chance to give it my all. With the time I spent in the middle, I’m happy.
“The whole bunch has put in lot of effort to reach the Irani Cup by winning the Ranji Trophy last season. It’s not like our team can’t win this tournament). In fact, we are one of the best teams in India. So, we hope to do well and win it.”
