After scoring a double century in the Irani Cup 2024 against the Rest of the India squad, the middle order batter Sarfaraz Khan has said that he has fulfilled the promise of his family members that he would score a hundred on behalf of his injured brother Musherr as well in the Irani Cup.
He said he told his family that if he touches the 200 run mark, then 100 runs would be for his young brother Musheer Khan who met with a car accident.
Sarfaraz Khan scored an unbeaten 222 runs in 268 balls with 25 fours and 04 sixes on day 03 of the match. His impressive stand guided Mumbai to a mammoth 537 all out on the third day of their match even as Musheer was recovering from the accident he suffered while travelling to the city for the game along with his father Naushad Khan.
“Yes, it has been an emotional week for me. I had promised my family and teammates that if I am set, I will score 200 — a hundred for me and a hundred for my brother (Musheer),” told Sarfaraz Khan.
“If he (Musheer) had played in the match, abbu (father) would have been prouder. Unfortunately, he met with an accident. So, I thought I must somehow score a double ton in this match.”
“Yeah, I spoke with him. He is fine but will take two to three months to recover,” said Sarfaraz.
Sarfaraz Khan was the first player to score an Irani Cup double hundred for Mumbai. He made his 15th first-class century will certainly dispel all doubts about his slot as a reserve middle-order batter for the remainder of the test season.
Asked about his penchant for making big scores, Sarfaraz said, “I’m known to play big knocks. I feel good doing things I’m known for. Mumbai also needed me to bat long,” he said
“It’s a big opportunity for us to win the Irani Cup after a long time. Back of the mind, I thought of playing as long as possible, putting as many runs on the board as possible which will help the team win,” Sarfaraz added.
Sarfaraz would either slightly go inside out or bend down on one knee to slog sweep it for maximums.
“I have played in the Irani Cup earlier and scored a century for the Rest of India. But this is a very emotional inning for me as I’m playing for my home team. I am putting in extra effort so that Mumbai can lift the Cup.
“If you look at it, weather was obviously a challenge. We are up against some of the best players in India right now,” he said.
Speaking about his effort, Sarfaraz Khan said, “Most of them have played international cricket. I was looking to make runs against them. It was an opportunity to give my best. I am satisfied with the time I spent in the middle.
“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.”
With his knock, he joined an illustrious group of players, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Shikhar Dhawan and Yashasvi Jaiswal who have two centuries each in the Irani Cup.
