Sarfaraz Khan’s father reveals story behind his son’s jersey number 97

26-year-old Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan made a fabulous debut for the Indian cricket team, showcasing his exceptional talent with a marvellous 62 runs in the first innings of the third Test against England in Rajkot. Sarfaraz reached his 50-run mark in just 48 balls and became one of the joint-fastest half-centurions on debut for India. Sarfaraz’s father, Naushad Khan, couldn’t control his emotions after his son received the Test Cap from legendary spinner Anil Kumble.

In a heart-touching gesture, the Mumbai lad wore the jersey number 97 during the third Test match. His father Naushad Khan revealed why both his sons, Sarfaraz and Musheer Khan, wear 97 on their jerseys. He said it’s a tribute to him. The pronunciation of “nau” means nine and “saat” means seven in Hindi, which resembles Naushad’s name, adding an emotional touch to their jersey number.

Sarfaraz’s father gets emotional while revealing the reason

“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,” Naushad said in an interview with Aaj Tak.

Sarfaraz Khan is a consistent performer in domestic cricket. All his hard work came to reality when he smashed a magnificent 62 of 66 balls. He was coming in at number six after the fall of skipper Rohit Sharma. He looked hungry for his runs and very much comfortable in the crease. He hit nine boundaries and a six-over long on.

Later in the match, Sarfaraz and India’s ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja had some miscommunication in the middle, and he was run out by Mark Wood at the non-striker’s end.