Sarfaraz Khan breaks silence on KL Rahul’s selection over him in India Test XI

The 26-year-old India National Cricket Team batting sensation Sarfaraz Khan has opened up on missing out on the playing XI of the Test team despite performing well in the limited opportunities he received.

Sarfaraz has featured in 4 Test matches for India National Cricket Team and has scored 350 runs at an amazing average of 58.33 and a good strike rate of 77.77, to go with one century and three fifties.

Sarfaraz Khan played a career-best Test knock in Bengaluru against New Zealand

In the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand National Cricket Team, Sarfaraz played the best knock of his short Test career at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

After bagging a duck in the first innings, Sarfaraz made a stunning comeback and batted exceptionally well in the second innings. He played stellar shots behind the wickets and troubled the Kiwis with his unorthodox style of cricket.

The 26-year-old was involved in two game-changing partnerships with Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant that completely shifted the momentum of the match in India's favor.

Sarfaraz first stitched together 136 runs with Virat Kohli on Day 3 and then 177 runs with Rishabh Pant on Day 4, helping India get a lead and set a target of 107 runs for the BlackCaps.

He finished his innings with a score of 150 runs in 195 balls. In his knock, Sarfaraz slammed 18 fours and 3 sixes.

I stick to my routines and focus on what I can control - Sarfaraz Khan

After the conclusion of Day 4, Sarfaraz Khan attended the press conference where he spoke about missing out on the India XI due to the team combination. He stated:

“I stick to my routines and focus on what I can control. I continue doing what has worked for me over the years, keeping up with my practice, and fulfilling my team’s expectations. Conversations with my father also keep me motivated. Nothing changes in my approach," as quoted by RevSportz.

While talking about hitting his maiden Test century for India, Sarfaraz Khan said that he just fulfilled his childhood dream with his knock.

“It felt really good to score a century for my country, fulfilling a childhood dream,” Sarfaraz added.

It won’t be easy for New Zealand - Sarfaraz Khan

Although New Zealand have got a small target, Sarfaraz feels chasing will not be easy on the final day pitch.

“It won’t be easy for New Zealand. The pitch has its challenges; the ball is moving and cutting unpredictably, and there will be turn. If we can get breakthroughs early tomorrow, they might find themselves in a similar spot as we did,” he said.

While talking about scoring runs with unorthodox shots behind the wickets, Sarfaraz Khan said that he didn't plan anything and just went with the flow. He stated:

“It wasn’t a deliberate plan. They bowled a lot outside off, making it easier to score elsewhere. I wasn’t consciously avoiding the middle; I was just focused on scoring, however, it came.”