‘Cried thinking about my tough times,' says Sarfaraz Khan after Ranji Trophy ton

Sarfaraz Khan acknowledges the crowd as he walks off the field after his dismissal during the second day of the Ranji trophy final cricket match between Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru. Pic/PTI

Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan was in tears after scoring his eighth first-class century (134, 13x4, 2x6) on Day Two of the Ranji Trophy final against Madhya Pradesh in Bangalore on Thursday. The 41-time champions were struggling at one stage, with half the side back in the pavilion and the score reading 228-5. Sarfaraz's fighting knock however, helped them post 374 all out.

Sarfaraz, who made his Mumbai Ranji debut against Bengal in 2014-15, but then went on to play for Uttar Pradesh in 2015-16 before returning to Mumbai, displayed huge emotions on reaching his hundred. "It has always been my dream to score a hundred in a Ranji final. This has only been possible because of my Abbu's [father and coach Naushad] hard work. When I went to UP, I was going through a tough phase and was not sure of my career. In such situations, many parents might give up on their child, but my father kept working hard on me. On reaching my hundred today, I recollected those tough moments and that's why I cried," Sarfaraz, 24, told mid-day from Bangalore.

Also Read: India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara credits his comeback to Sussex stint

Having amassed 937 runs this season, Sarfaraz realises an India call-up could be around the corner. "Everyone wants to play for India, I'm no different," he said.