Mumbai: Indian cricket’s wonderkid Sarfaraz Khan – who grew in the maidans of the Maximum City and shone in IPL 2015 as the youngest player (17) – has decided to move to Uttar Pradesh (UP) for a better future. Sarfaraz’s dream is to play for Team India and he did not want to test his patience considering the tough path from Mumbai to the Indian cricket team.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA)-bred Sarfaraz will have to perform in the selection trials to book his berth in UP.
His decision to shift base could be termed unfaithful as MCA made him what he is today – it took care of his cricket from a tender age.
But the MCA giants chose to keep mum and wished for the kid’s success.
Sarfaraz’s father, Naushad, is from UP and according to a report in ESPN cricinfo, he had approached Rajeev Shukla (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association Secretary) for the relocation.
It has been learnt that MCA joint secretary tried to convince the cricketer to stay back in Mumbai but the father-son duo had made their decision.
Sarfaraz received his no-objection certificate from MCA.
Though a youngster, but he is known to be rash and aggressive on the field. In an Under-19 knockout fixture in 2014, he had made an obscene gesture to the selectors which chopped his name from the list of probables for the next T20 zonal tournament.
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He earned his place back through an apology but had to sacrifice his match fee.
However, Sarfaraz scripted records in school cricket and was also the third-highest run-scorer for India in the U-19 World Cup in 2014. He made his Ranji Trophy debut last season but was dropped after scoring 95 runs from three matches.
In IPL, where he played under Virat Kohli and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, he managed 111 runs in 13 matches including a match-winning 21-ball 45 against Rajasthan Royals.
