Sarfaraz Khan is going back to an old-school Mumbai cricketing tradition, the Kanga League, in a determined effort to get back on the Indian Test team. The 27-year-old was not chosen for India’s upcoming Test series in England, even though he has been playing really well lately and has lost a lot of weight (17 kg). This has just made him more determined.
Sarfaraz’s road return to the national team has been full with ups and downs. Many people thought he was safe after he made his debut last year and scored 371 runs in six matches, with an average of 37.10, including a century. But the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar did not pick him for the 15-man roster for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Sarfaraz is now going down an odd road, even though he was snubbed. After scoring 92 runs for India A against the India Lions in May, he has agreed to play in the Kanga League. This choice is especially interesting because a lot of modern international cricketers from Mumbai skip the competition.
The Kanga League is a famous competition that takes place in Mumbai every year from July to October during the monsoon season. Its famously difficult circumstances, with cloudy skies and wet pitches, provide a tough challenge for any hitter. But Sarfaraz did well. He struck a quick 61 runs in just 42 balls for Parkophone Cricketers against Islam Gymkhana. This shows how determined he was on getting ready—he even got to the stadium half an hour early to get a head start on the competition.
Many legends surround the history of the Kanga League, and famous Mumbai players like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Sandeep Patil, and Dilip Vengsarkar have all played there. Sarfaraz is getting ideas from these famous people, and his father, coach Naushad Khan, tells him stories about how hard Gavaskar worked.
Sarfaraz told Mid-day, “My father told me a lot of stories about how Sunil Gavaskar sir played in a Kanga League match even though he had just come back from England that morning.” “So, Musheer [his younger brother] and I have always been proud to play in this tournament.”
Sarfaraz last played for India almost a year ago, and it won’t be easy for him to get back into the team because there are a lot of other promising young players trying to do the same. But India’s next two Test matches will be at home against the West Indies and South Africa, so there is still a chance.
Sarfaraz advised other Mumbai cricketers to emulate his example and talked about how important the Kanga League is. He stressed that “All Mumbai players should play [Kanga League].” “Some players think that if they don’t do well here, it will hurt their future.” But Gavaskar sir and Sachin Tendulkar sir might not have become legends if they thought the same way. He ended by talking on how important the tournament was: “If big players play in this tournament, it will give the city’s kids something to look up to.” If you do well in the Kanga League, you can hit runs anywhere in the world.