Sarfaraz Khan credits Rahul Dravid for his match winning knock

Sarfaraz with coach Dravid and his teammate Pant

India’s under-19 rising batsman Sarfaraz Khan said in an after-match interview that he still cannot believe the former Indian captain Rahul Dravid is mentoring him, reports ABPLive. Sarfaraz was adjudged Man-of-the-Match in the final match tri-nation series match against Bangladesh.

A brilliant bowling performances followed by Sarfaraz’s swashbuckling 59 runs gave India a comfortable win over Bangladesh in the big final. He added that having Dravid at the helm is like a dream come true for the whole team.

“Till now, I had seen him only on TV making hundreds and it is hard for me to believe that he is our coach now and is with us in the next room,” Sarfaraz said. “To be coached by a batting legend like Dravid is a dream come true for us. I am sure his experience will count in a big way as we prepare for the World Cup.”

Sarfaraz credited Dravid for his final match innings of 59 runs. He flopped in the first three matches of the tournament where he could only score 2, 0 and 12 runs. His 59 runs against Bangladesh came off just 27 balls and included 3 sixes and 9 boundaries.

“The biggest quality in him is he’s always cool and calm. He never told me that I was not scoring runs but would tell me you learn everyday. He told me to play my natural game. Rahul sir helped me a lot, I owe him a lot,” he said.

When asked about his attacking knock which came after India were 42/3 in 6.3 overs, Sarfaraz said: “I wanted to do something different today. I remembered Rahul sir’s words and kept playing my natural game. I played fearless cricket. As they say sometimes attack is the best form of defence and it worked for me today.”

Besides Sarfaraz, it was Rishab Pant who made it a memorable tournament with his explosive form throughout the series. The Delhi wicket-keeper batsman was awarded Man-of-the-Series as he came out as the top run-getter with his knocks of 118, 87 and 51.

Speaking about Pant’s knock, Sarfaraz said: “The idea is for Pant to give an attacking start while I will capitalise on that lower down the order. You have to play in an attacking way in one-day cricket.”

Sarfaraz represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. He impressed everyone with his shot selection and playing technique.

Brief score of the final match:

Bangladesh Under-19s 116 (36.5 overs)India Under-19s 117/3 (13.3 overs)India Under-19s won by 7 wickets (with 219 balls remaining)