Sarfaraz Khan, the 26-year-old middle-order batsman for the Indian national cricket team, recently recalled the memorable night at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) when he made modern great Virat Kohli bow down to him.
Bengaluru Royal Challengers took on Rajasthan Royals in the 29th match of the 2015 Indian Premier League on April 29 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
Kohli was out for 1 in that match but Sarfaraz Khan played a stunning innings and scored 45 runs off 21 balls, with 6 fours and 1 six. Sarfaraz was at his unorthodox best during his knock and seemed to have impressed his then captain Virat Kohli with his batting masterclass.
As Sarfaraz walked off the field after his heroics against Rajasthan Royals, Virat Kohli looked delighted and bowed to him in gratitude.
Speaking about the memorable moment, Sarfaraz Khan said that he enjoyed the evening a lot and expressed his desire to share the Indian dressing room with Kohli.
“I met him at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time. He had scored 45 runs off 21 balls here and he bowed to me. I had a lot of fun that day. It was a dream to share the dressing room with him in the Indian team; it will come true in the future if I get a chance,” he added.
It is noteworthy that Sarfaraz Khan’s dream of sharing the Indian dressing room with Virat Kohli could have come true earlier this year during the series against England but Kohli pulled out of the entire series due to the birth of his second child. However, they will soon share the dressing room during the Bangladesh Test series.
It is noteworthy that in the five-match Test series against England, Sarfaraz Khan got the chance to make his Test debut. He batted with an aggressive intent and scored three half-centuries for the team. In total, he has played three Tests in his career and has scored 200 runs at an average of 50.
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Virat Kohli’s passion and spirit are unmatched – Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz further said that Kohli is a very passionate player and his spirit is unmatched.
“His (Virat Kohli’s) passion and spirit are unmatched. Whenever I saw him, even in pre-match meetings, he would take charge and tell everyone how many runs he would score with a particular bowler and explain it to everyone. Having the courage to stand up and speak with such positivity in front of everyone and then give it his all the next day is a unique skill,” Sarfaraz told Jio Cinema.
The young batsman added that Virat Kohli is very clear about his game and does not care about any criticism or praise he receives.
“He knows his game clearly. He knows the work a player has to do and that criticism or praise should not affect his game. ‘This is my job, I have to do this in the morning, this in the afternoon, this at night and go to sleep at a certain time’. That’s what I’ve learned from him,” he concluded.
