Watch- Sarfaraz Khan’s Father Naushad Khan Overwhelmed with Tears Following His Son’s Test Debut in Rajkot

Sarfaraz Khan, on Thursday (February 15), finally received his maiden India cap as he was included in the India playing XI for the third Test against England in Rajkot. India were set to make several changes to the playing XI for the crucial game due to the unavailability of some players.

While KL Rahul is ruled out with an injury, Shreyas Iyer was dropped from the squad after the second Test. The Indian team management handed a debut not only too Sarfaraz Khan but to wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel as well.

While Sarfaraz Khan replaced Iyer in the team, Jurel replaced underperforming KS Bharat. India made two other changes to the team that won the second Test in Vishakhapatnam. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja replaced Axar Patel while Mohammed Siraj replaced Mukesh Kumar. Jadeja missed the last Test due to a hamstring injury while Siraj was rested.

Sarfaraz Khan’s Emotional Debut: A Proud Moment for Father and Son

As Sarfaraz Khan finally got the opportunity to make his debut for Team India, his father Naushad Khan could not control his emotions. He was invited to the field for the cap presentation ceremony. As Sarfaraz Khan received his maiden Test cap, his father’s eyes were filled with tears.

Earlier this month, Sarfaraz Khan had once again highlighted the role of his father in his career. Speaking after receiving his maiden India call-up, the Mumbai star had said: “I had tears in my eyes whenever I used to think about my selection in the team. But my father advised me, ‘You keep working hard and you will be unstoppable.’ Having self-belief and patience was very important.”

“Everyone knows that my father is my coach and my ultimate goal was to not let his hard work on me go to waste. I had the desire to get to play for my country so I am happy that the hard work I put in hasn’t gone in vain,” he added while speaking in a video posted by the BCCI.

Meanwhile, the five-match Test series is currently locked at 1-1. England won the series opener by 28 runs before India won the second Test by 106 runs. Talking about the third Test, India have opted to bat first after winning the toss.

India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

SEE ALSO: REPORTS: SARFARAZ KHAN AND DHRUV JUREL SET TO MAKE INDIA DEBUT IN 3RD TEST AGAINST ENGLAND AT RAJKOT