"My father told me that you have to score runs whether you play for India or in the Ranji Trophy" - Sarfaraz Khan on his non-selection for India

Sarfaraz Khan has acknowledged that he was expecting a Team India call-up. He added that his father's advice helped him concentrate on performing well in domestic cricket when he was ignored.

Sarfaraz has set the stage alight with his Bradmanesque performances in domestic cricket over the last few years. However, he has not been picked in the Indian squad for the first two Tests of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

On the Aakashvani show on JioCinema, Sarfaraz Khan was asked whether he was hurt when he was not selected, to which he replied:

"The expectations are there, but unfortunately, my name did not come. Then I thought about what I can do going forward and what is in my hands. My father told me that you have to score runs whether you play for India or in the Ranji Trophy. So I will score runs wherever I will play."

Sarfaraz has amassed 3505 runs at an outstanding average of 79.65 in 37 first-class games. He has struck 13 centuries and nine half-centuries in the 54 innings he has played.

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"I understood that it is not as difficult as people used to scare me about" - Sarfaraz Khan on becoming a red-ball player

Sarfaraz Khan initially made a name as a finisher in the IPL.

Aakash Chopra further asked Sarfaraz about his transformation from a perceived white-ball specialist to a red-ball player, to which he responded:

"I vividly remember that when I came back after playing the (Under-19) World Cup and then played two years in the IPL, a few people used to say that Sarfaraz Khan is a white-ball player and will not be able to play with the red ball, and that too a last-four-over batter in white ball."

The Mumbai middle-order batter highlighted that he was waiting for an opportunity to showcase his talent in the longest format, saying:

"I knew that I could do it and I kept on putting in the effort. I was waiting for an opportunity, that if I could get four-five consecutive games in the Ranji Trophy, I would show what I am capable of."

Sarfaraz added that he hasn't looked back since he scored a triple century while making a comeback for Mumbai, stating:

"It came one day when I made a comeback for Mumbai and my first century for Mumbai ended as a triple century. After that, I understood that it is not as difficult as people used to scare me about. So I not am letting it go now."

Sarfaraz scored an unbeaten 301 in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group match against Uttar Pradesh in January 2020. The knock helped Mumbai take the first-innings lead after the visitors posted a mammoth score of 625/8 at the Wankhede Stadium.