When this Dubai resident introduced Sarfaraz Khan to Sunil Gavaskar

Images of Sarfaraz Khan's father, Naushad, crying inconsolably after kissing his son's Test cap have now melted cricketing hearts worldwide.

Naushad, a cricket coach, had sacrificed a lot to see his son play for India only to face rejection over and over again even as Sarfaraz continued his astounding run-making spree in India's domestic cricket.

Recommended For You

Make November one to remember with Big Ticket’s race and luxury yacht experience

Rai seizes one-shot lead at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on lively day of low scores

Are fashion and luxury in a state of transition in Middle East?

Sharjah Ruler allocates Dh4.5 million for libraries to buy latest titles from SIBF

Oman urges visa overstayers to regularise status as amnesty scheme deadline looms

 

So when Sarfaraz, 26, finally became a Test player last week, Naushad, whose own dream of playing for India was shattered in his teens, couldn't hold back the tears.

Then, remarkably, even England failed to stop the flow of runs from his son's bat as Sarfaraz nonchalantly drove, cut, pulled and swept the bowlers, scoring two stunning half-centuries on debut.

His 'Bazball'-style batting against England, the inventors of Bazball, validated his father's belief in him. It also put serious question marks over India's selectors who kept ignoring him.

It was not just Naushad and his family that had gone through the whole gamut of emotion on Thursday.

A Dubai resident, Shyam Bhatia, was also overwhelmed with emotion after the bulky Mumbai batter silenced his detractors with his memorable knock on Test debut.

Bhatia, Dubai's well-known cricket promoter, had gifted Sarfaraz a cricket kit when he was only 14 - two years after he hit the headlines as a child prodigy in Mumbai by breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record with a knock of 439 in a school cricket match.

“I know the family for a long time, his father Naushad even played club cricket here in Dubai and Sharjah,” Bhatia recalled.

“So after he broke Sachin's school cricket record in Mumbai, his father called me and asked me to meet his son. I couldn't meet them immediately, but I invited them to my book launch at the Cricket Club of India.

“Naushad came with Sarfaraz, he was very small then. That was the first time I met them.”

At the book launch, the young Sarfaraz couldn't hide his excitement when he saw Sunil Gavaskar.

“I knew what he wanted when I saw his face, so I said, 'Okay, come, I will introduce you to Sunil.' So Sunil met him and encouraged him to keep playing well.”

From that day, Bhatia also started to support Sarfaraz in his cricket journey.

“I used to send them cricket kits. His younger brother, Musheer Khan, is also a very good player. He is now playing for the Indian under-19 team. I have supported both brothers for a long time with cricket kits. I also sponsored a cricket trip for them to the UK,” Bhatia said.

It's been 20 years since the Dubai-based Indian businessman started to support cricket at the grassroots level in India as well as in many other countries like Ukraine, Japan, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

“This is the first time that a player I backed has made India debut. So it's a very emotional moment for me,” he said.

“I remember when I met him for the first time at the book launch in Mumbai, I asked him about his favourite cricketer. He said AB de Villiers.

“Yesterday, he was playing like AB, fearless, aggressive and always looking for a scoring opportunity.

“His batting proved that the selectors were wrong. They should have picked him at least two years ago. But better late than never.”

Indeed, the fruits of sacrifices and hard work could not have been sweeter for Sarfaraz and his father.

"His debut confirms the belief that your father is the greatest coach. Naushad Khan slept on railway platforms and travelled unreserved with @sarfarazkhan and Musheer Khan as they pursued their cricket dreams. What an inspiration all three of them," tweeted Vijay Lokapally, one of India's finest sports writers.

Bhatia agreed. "Naushad has sacrificed everything for his sons' cricket dreams," he said. "They say the younger one, Musheer, is even more talented. He is already doing so well, he scored two hundreds recently at the Under-19 World Cup. I am sure he will also play for India."

ALSO READ:

Rituraj Borkakoty

• 

rituraj@khaleejtimes.com

Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.