Anand Mahindra Wants To Honour Sarfaraz Khan's Father By Gifting Him A Thar

Young India batter Sarfaraz Khan received his maiden Test cap from former spinner Anil Kumble ahead of the third Test against England in Rajkot on Thursday. It was a long-standing dream for the Mumbai-born batter, who had been struggling to make it to the national team despite having impressive numbers in domestic cricket.

Sarfaraz’s father Naushad Khan, who was present on the side-lines, could not hold back his tears when his son brought the coveted cap to him. Moved by this touching gesture, industrialist Anand Mahindra has now expressed his desire to gift a brand new Thar to the proud father.

After the cap presentation ceremony was wrapped up, Naushad Khan gave an interview where he said, “Aaj cap milne ke baad meri soch badal gayi hai un tamam bacchon ke liye, jo mehnat kar rahe hai. Raat ko waqt do guzarne ke liye, Suraj apne hi samay me niklega [After Sarfaraz earned the cap today, my thoughts changed for all those kids who are working hard. Let the night pass by as the sun will rise in its own time].”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared some glimpses of the emotional interview on X (formerly Twitter). Business tycoon Anand Mahindra reshared the video from his account with a heart-warming note for Sarfaraz Khan’s father.

Shedding light on Naushad Khan’s contribution to Sarfaraz Khan’s success, Anand Mahindra wrote, “Himmat nahin chodna, bas! Hard work. Courage. Patience. What better qualities than those for a father to inspire in a child? For being an inspirational parent, it would be my privilege and honour if Naushad Khan would accept the gift of a Thar.”

Despite Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja’s centuries, Sarfaraz Khan stole the show with his skills and composure on the opening day of the Rajkot Test. While Ravindra Jadeja had just held the wicket at the other end, Sarfaraz went all guns blazing against the English spinners. He smashed nine boundaries and two sixes to register 62 runs off 66 balls. Sarfaraz looked promising to reach the triple-figure mark but ended up being run out due to a mix-up with Jadeja.