Sarfaraz Khan adopts 'zero expectations' stance for Bangladesh Tests as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul set to return

The 26-year-old India National Cricket Team middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan has said that he is keeping 'zero expectations' from the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh National Cricket Team despite his heroics in the debut Test series against England National Cricket Team earlier this year.

Sarfaraz Khan finally made his way to the Indian team in the Test series against England after grinding in domestic cricket for years and delivering back-to-back sensational performances. His path to the Test squad was not at all easy as despite averaging over 70 in first-class cricket, he wasn't considered for selection, and it was the absence of key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer that helped him finally book a place in the India XI.

Sarfaraz Khan made his debut game a memorable one by smashing twin quickfire fifties (62 & 68*). In the second Test, he failed (14 & 0) but bounced back strong and smashed a fifty (56) in the fifth and final Test.

Sarfaraz Khan is likely to be next seen in action for the Indian team when they take on Bangladesh in a two-match home Test series. The first Test will be played from September 19, and the second Test will be played from September 27 in Chennai and Kanpur, respectively.

Even though Sarfaraz Khan was sensational in his debut series, a question mark remains over his place in the Indian XI for Bangladesh Tests as Virat Kohli, along with KL Rahul, are all set to return to the line-up. The only thing Sarfaraz can do is perform well in the upcoming Duleep Trophy and impress the Indian team management.

Speaking ahead of the Test series, the 26-year-old made it clear that he isn't looking at the Bangladesh series and his entire focus is on following his process.

"I’m not looking at the Bangladesh series. But I’ve to follow the process and be ready. This (playing matches) is very important for me. I’ve not had this level of practice in Mumbai because of the rains. You are just facing a bowling machine, side-arm throwers or sometimes bowlers in indoor facilities. But I don’t like batting indoors because the ball comes nicely onto the bat. It is not the case on turf because it will challenge you a lot. And you can only improve by practicing hard,” Sarfaraz told Indian Express.

He added that he has zero expectations from the Bangladesh Tests but will be ready if he gets the opportunity to play.

“I have zero expectations… But I’ll be ready if the opportunity arises. That is what I’ve been doing all along and I don’t see any reason to change that,” he added.

Some get a break very soon in their career. Some have to wait - Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan has been one of the players who had to knock down the door completely to make his way into the Indian dressing room as he didn't get a call-up when he was in red-hot form. Despite that, he showed his composure in the England series and played confidently.

Talking about this, Sarfaraz Khan said that the extra time it took him to get the India call-up helped him to transform into a better batsman as he spent quality time in domestic cricket.

“Some get a break very soon in their career. Some have to wait. In my case, I’m fortunate that it took time because I got to spend a lot of time in domestic cricket and that grind helped me become a better batsman.

"When I made my debut, for the first three deliveries I was nervous. But after that, I was in control. Whatever I used to do at the domestic level, I was doing the same in Test cricket. I was very clear in my mind. I wasn’t looking at the opposition or the bowler,” Sarfaraz stated.

The right-handed batsman, who has worked a lot on his fitness recently, also stated that getting the India cap was a dream for him, but it's not all as he wants to reach greater heights.

“My father and I had a dream. It was to play for India and I was able to achieve it against England. But it shouldn’t be the end. Now, I’ve to prolong that dream as long as I can, and for that, I have to do a lot of hard work. This isn’t the time to rest. If anything, I’ve to work harder,” Sarfaraz Khan said.