“I’m a Big Fan of His Style,” Sarfaraz Khan credits former Indian captain after scoring a Ranji double century

Sarfaraz Khan’s long-time admiration for Mohammad Azharuddin came full circle on Friday. The Mumbai batter scored a brilliant double century and credited his success to the guidance of the former India captain.

Sarfaraz smashed 227 runs against Azharuddin’s home team, Hyderabad, in an Elite Group D Ranji Trophy match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. His knock helped Mumbai post a huge first-innings total of 560 runs.

The innings included 19 fours and nine sixes. Sarfaraz scored at a fast strike rate of 103.65 against a strong bowling attack that featured India pacer Mohammed Siraj.

Later, Sarfaraz said that his meeting with Azharuddin a day before the match was very helpful. He added that Azhar’s advice helped him handle reverse swing better during his innings.

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Azhar’s Advice Helps Sarfaraz Master Reverse Swing

Sarfaraz Khan said he learned a lot from Mohammad Azharuddin before the match. He admitted that he has not faced much reverse swing in his career. Azhar told him that the ball swings early at this ground. He also explained where to stand for the inswing and even showed him some shots. Sarfaraz said they spoke for nearly two hours.

The Mumbai batter also spoke about his long-time admiration for Azhar’s batting. He said his father showed him videos of Azhar when he was young. Even now, his father shows him clips of Azhar’s famous flick shots. Sarfaraz said he is a big fan of Azhar’s style.

Sarfaraz added that the pitch made the innings special. The ball was keeping low at times, so he had to play with intent and attack when needed.

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Azhar Plays Down His Role, Backs Sarfaraz for India

Azharuddin refused to take credit for Sarfaraz’s big innings. He said Sarfaraz deserved all the praise. Azhar explained that Sarfaraz came to him with a few questions, and he only shared some basic advice. He congratulated Sarfaraz on his excellent knock.

Azhar did not share details of their talk, but he strongly supported Sarfaraz’s case for the Indian team. He said Sarfaraz has performed well at every level but has not been given enough chances. Azhar called him an attacking batter who deserves selection.

Sarfaraz has played six Test matches for India and has scored one century. He has not played for the national team since November 2024.