"If you succeed here, you can score anywhere" - Discarded Team India batter seeks inspiration from Gavaskar, Tendulkar

Out of favor Team India batter Sarfaraz Khan has turned to Mumbai's Kanga League to try and win back his place in the Test team. The 27-year-old is seeking inspiration from Mumbai legends Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and a few others, who honed their skills in the domestic tournament.

Sarfaraz made a belated Test debut for India against England in Rajkot in February 2024, scoring half-centuries in both innings. He also scored a brilliant 150 in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. However, after failing in the next two Tests of the series, he was not picked in the playing XI in any of the Border-Gavaskar Tests in Australia.

Sarfaraz was subsequently dropped from the Test team for the tour of England. He was in the news recently for his drastic physical transformation, which saw him shed 17 kilos. Speaking to Mid-Day, the Mumbai cricketer asserted that he would look to keep improving his skills by participating in the Kanga League. He said:

"All Mumbai players should play (Kanga League). Some players feel that if they fail here, it’ll be bad for their future. But if Gavaskar sir and Sachin Tendulkar sir thought the same way, they might not have gone on to become legends.

"If big players play in this tournament, it will be an inspiration for the city’s youngsters. Kanga League is such a tournament that if you succeed here, you can score runs anywhere in the world," the right-hander added.

The Kanga League is a unique tournament since it is played during Mumbai’s monsoon months - from July to October. Pitches with moisture and overcast skies make scoring runs a big challenge for batters. As per a report in Rediff, the prolific domestic star recently scored 61 off 42 balls while representing Parkophone Cricketers against Islam Gymkhana.

---

Sarfaraz impressed for India A against England Lions

The seasoned Mumbai batter was not picked in the Indian team for the five-match Test tour of England. However, he played an impressive knock while representing India A against England Lions in the first unofficial Test in Canterbury.

The right-handed batter scored 92 off 119 balls in the first innings, hitting 13 fours before being dismissed by Josh Hull. He did not get a chance to bat in the second innings of the Test as the match ended in a draw.

Sarfaraz has so far featured in six Test matches for India and has scored 371 runs at an average of 37.10, with one hundred and three half-centuries. In first-class cricket, he has hit 4,685 runs in 55 matches at an average of 65.98.