"When I was young, I played Kanga League with Sarfaraz's father" - Rohit Sharma on sharing emotional hug with Naushad Khan

Team India captain Rohit Sharma has opened up about the emotional moment he shared with Sarfaraz Khan's father Naushad ahead of Sarfaraz's Test debut.

In a heartwarming gesture, Rohit went and hugged Naushad. The Indian captain revealed that he had played with Naushad when he was young, and his gesture was his way to appreciate Naushad's efforts towards raising his sons.

Both of Naushad's sons are cricketers. Sarfaraz made his India debut in the Test series against England in Rajkot, scoring half-centuries in both innings. His younger brother Musheer had a brilliant 2024 U-19 World Cup campaign and also played a stellar role in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy 2024 triumph. He was the Player of the Match in the final against Vidarbha for his second-innings century and two wickets.

In an interview with team45ro, Rohit revealed the reason behind hugging Naushad ahead of Sarfaraz's Test debut in Rajkot.

"You see, when I was young, I played the Kanga League with Sarfaraz's father. He was a left-handed batter who was aggressive and had made a name for himself in Mumbai's domestic circuit. I wanted to appreciate all his efforts over the years, which have now borne fruit," Rohit said.

"The many Test caps your son (Sarfaraz) will get, it will be yours too," the Indian captain added, while sharing an emotional message for Naushad.

Sarfaraz made his much-awaited Test debut during the home series against England. The right-handed batter proved his worth by scoring 200 runs in five innings at an average of 50 and an impressive strike rate of 79.37, with three half-centuries.

The Mumbai batter smashed 62 and 68* in his debut Test in Rajkot. He was looking good for a big score in the first innings but was run out following a horrible mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja, who was on 99.

After being dismissed for low scores in both innings of the fourth Test in Ranchi, Sarfaraz contributed 56 in India's thumping triumph in the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala.

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Sarfaraz, Dhruv Jurel get Grade C central contracts

Sarfaraz and Dhruv Jurel, two of India's heroes from the 4-1 Test series win against England, were recently inducted into Group C of the BCCI's central contracts after they met the criteria of playing three Tests in a season.

Both Sarfaraz and Jurel played their third Test in Dharamsala, becoming eligible for a Grade C contract, which offers an annual retainment fee of ₹1 crore.

While Sarfaraz scored three half-centuries against England, Jurel was the Player of the Match for his 90 and 39* in the fourth Test in Ranchi. He had earlier contributed 46 in his debut innings in Rajkot.