Sarfaraz Khan in talks with teams for IPL 2024? Batter makes big revelation

India National Cricket Team young batsman Sarfaraz Khan has made a revelation on whether he is in talks with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises for participation in the upcoming edition of the marquee T20 league.

The 26-year-old batsman has represented Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), and Delhi Capitals in the cash-rich league. He has participated in 8 seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has participated in 50 matches.

However, he hasn’t had the kind of impact with his performances the teams would have expected from him. The youngster has scored just 585 runs at an average of 22.50 and a strike rate of 130.58. His best score in the league has been 67, which also happens to be his only 50-plus score in the tournament.

Despite his underwhelming IPL numbers, there were reports that he was on the radar of teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after his heroics in his debut Test series against England National Cricket Team at home.

The young batsman registered twin half-centuries in his debut Test match as he slammed 62 & 68* in two innings in Rajkot and played a key role in India’s crushing victory over the Three Lions. He showed great promise and played some stunning shots against the English bowlers, which might have impressed the IPL teams.

In his second Test, Sarfaraz Khan failed to impress as he scored 14 & 0. However, he bounced back strong in the fifth Test of the series and smashed 56 runs in Dharamsala.

In a big IPL season, there are chances of players getting injured – Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan wasn’t picked by any franchise at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. However, he could be roped in as a replacement in case there are any injury issues in the teams.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on Friday, Sarfaraz Khan opened up on his IPL chances. He said that he is working really hard and if he gets a call from any IPL franchise, he would be ready.

“In a big IPL season, there are chances of players getting injured, and you get calls. But, what’s in my hand is my hard work. I want to keep working hard. I am not part of the IPL as of now, but if I get a call, I have to be ready for that. I have to continue my practice at home and also keep my red-ball practice going,” Sarfaraz Khan said.

During the same interaction, Sarfaraz Khan also said that he had gained a lot of followers on his official Instagram handle after his debut for the India National Cricket Team.

“For the last 4 years, it was 600-700k followers on Instagram. Suddenly, after playing for India, it has become 1.5 million. It’s good,” Sarfaraz Khan said when asked about his Instagram follower count before and after the heroics in the Test series.

Sarfaraz also admitted that he was under pressure while playing against England and revealed that he has heard about the importance of Test cricket since his childhood days.

“From my childhood, I have been hearing stories about the importance of Test cricket. My father kept telling me the importance of the longest format of the game. It’s not like there was no pressure, I felt pressure when playing my maiden series,” Sarfaraz said