Sarfaraz Khan is making the right noises in the ongoing Buchi Babu Trophy by slamming a 92-ball ton on Monday, August 18. The right-hand batter, who is eyeing to make a comeback in the Indian team after being snubbed for the England Test series, displayed brute force & power, en route in playing this blazing knock against TNCA XI. The youngster came out to bat when his team, Mumbai, were struggling on 98/3. However, that did not stop Sarfaraz from playing his natural brand of cricket and taking on the TNCA bowling attack.
Notably, before the Buchi Babu tournament, the Mumbai batter was in the news for a massive body transformation, in which he almost shed more than 10 Kilos. Sarfaraz set the social media ablaze with a photo, flaunting his lean & mean look. The right-hand batter also showed that not only did he worked on fitness in his off season, but he also worked on his batting, to send a big warning to selectors - that he is here to stay.
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Sarfaraz was also in the news for his participation in the Kanga League - A Mumbai-based tournament played during Monsoon. The 27-year-old believes everyone should turn up to play the League, as it carries a rich history and heritage. The batter scored 61 off 42 balls while playing for Parkophone Cricketers during the match against Islam Gymkhana. It was a massive statement making knock by the youngster, who is vying to stake a claim during India's next Test series against West Indies.
Sarfaraz Khan on the importance of playing the Kanga League
“I was so excited about this Kanga League match that the reporting time was 8.30am, but I reached at 8am only. More than being satisfied with my performance, I was delighted to be able to spend time in the middle. The pitch was not easy to bat on, and I even got hit on my helmet once. Also, there was a thick grass cover across the outfield, so boundaries were hard to come by,” Sarfaraz told Mid-Day.
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"During my childhood, I heard a lot of stories from my father [coach Naushad Khan] about how Sunil Gavaskar sir once turned up for a Kanga League match despite returning from England the same morning. So, Musheer [younger brother] and I have always taken pride in playing this tournament. While returning from Nagpur last evening [Saturday], we were hoping it wouldn't rain today. It rained a bit this morning, but when I reached Islam Gymkhana, the weather was good. I played my last Kanga League match three years ago. I was going through the league fixture book before this game and saw my name in it for scoring a century in 2018, and it felt nice,” Sarfaraz added.
After the Buchi Babu tournament, Sarfaraz will next be seen playing for West Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025 season, starting from August 28. The zonal event will give the Mumbai batter a strong chance to add runs and remind selectors of the prowess he possesses.
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