Sarfaraz Khan’s father reveals his special connection with son’s jersey no.97

Sarfaraz Khan whose maiden India call-up was long due finally made his debut in Test cricket for India and in line with the expectations of his fans and supporters smashed a swashbuckling 62 runs off just 66 balls in his very first international innings.

Sarfaraz’s road to India debut was not an easy one and despite putting the Indian domestic circuit on fire with the bat for the last three years, he was being ignored by the Indian selectors for some reason but injuries and poor form his Indian counterparts paved the way for his India debut which he grabbed with both hands and created a positive impression with his performance.

As they say, when the path to achieve something is hard you need someone to hold your hand and guide you through it, and for Sarfaraz Khan that guiding light was his father who played an important role in making Sarfaraz Khan what he is today. Therefore, when Sarfaraz Khan got the baggy blue cap the moment he shared his father described their entire relationship and the entire struggle behind the success.

Father and Son’s Connection with Jersey No.97

Sarfaraz Khan donned the No.97 jersey while he made his way to the batting crease for the first time. Generally, there is always a story behind sportsperson and their jersey numbers and it is the same case with Sarfaraz Khan. The story behind Sarfaraz’s jersey number was revealed by his father Naushad Khan.

Naushad Khan revealed that the Sarfaraz’s 97 no. jersey is a tribute to him for his relentless efforts to make him the reckoning force that he is today. The no. 97 is broken into two parts reads Nau and Saat which loosely means Naushad in Hindi. He feels that whenever Sarfaraz plays wearing that jersey, it feels like he is playing on the field.

While speaking to Aaj Tak, Naushad khan said, "Apne dekha hoga unke T-shirt ke peeche jo naam hai naa, number hai naa, vo Nau (9) aur Saat (7) hai. Actually, vo mera he naam hai. Hindi mein aap usko Nau (9) aur Saat (7) padh sakte hai. Toh aisa lagta hai ki bass wahi gaye hai aur main stance liya hoon. Main iss tarike se chauke maar raha hoon, chakke maar raha hoon."