Rohit Sharma on the emotional chat with Sarfaraz Khan’s father at his Test debut: ‘Ye jitna Test cap iska hai, usse jyada aapka hai’

India skipper Rohit Sharma admits feeling emotional watching the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Deep making their Test debut in the recently concluded five-Test match series against England.

“I personally enjoyed so much working with these guys. They are all very energetic. I’ve seen them all play. Things were easier for me because I knew them all, maybe one or two whom I hadn’t followed that closely but the rest I knew really well. And I knew their game, their strengths and how they want to play the game. For me, it was just about talking to them and telling them how good they are. Reminding them about the good things they’ve done in the past. Yeah, the situation is different, team is different, pressure…but everything else has to remain the same,” Rohit said in a video shared by team45ro Instagram.

“So me and Rahul Bhai had to speak a lot to them and the way they responded to us was superb. I said, ‘Okay, they’re up for the challenge’. The only thing is they need the comfort in the team environment and we tried giving that from our side,” he added.

Rohit then opened up on an emotional moment he shared with Sarfaraz Khan’s father, Naushad after his son received his maiden Test cap ahead of the Rajkot Test.

“I’ve played with Sarfaraz’s father in the Kanga League. I was very young then. His dad was a left-handed batter, who was very aggressive as a player. And he had quite the name in the Mumbai circuit. I wanted to appreciate that his effort for all these years has paid off finally. I told him, ‘Ye jitna Test cap iska hai, usse jyada aapka hai (This cap is more yours than his)’,” the Indian skipper recalled.

Rohit also spoke about the debut cap ceremony of Akash Deep, who made his first start for India in the subsequent Test in Ranchi, being handed his Test cap by the Indian head coach. “Rahul (Dravid) Bhai gave such a beautiful speech for Akash Deep before the match. You’d only think about how much hard work he’s done. Dekho kaha pe tha 6-7 saal pehle, ab kaha hai (See where he was 6-7 years ago and where he is now).’ You get very emotional when things like that happen in front of your own eyes.”

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The 4-1 win against England marked a fifth series win for India from the six they’ve played under Rohit’s captaincy.

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