IPL has given me great confidence: Sarfaraz

Sarfaraz Naushad Khan, who shot to fame in the eighth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), credited IPL for his new-found confidence and despite the instant stardom, vowed to stay grounded. 17-year old Sarfaraz became the youngest player to feature in an IPL game and shot to fame with a sprightly 21-ball 45 against Rajasthan Royals in a rain-interrupted league match.

Sarfaraz said that batting behind the likes of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) line-up was a huge honour for him. "Batting at number six for RCB was an honour for me," Sarfaraz told PTI. "Usually senior and experienced players bat at that position and carry heavy pressure. I am lucky to get a chance to bat at that position. It gave me extreme confidence but my feet are on the ground, and will remain there."

The Mumbai-born Sarfaraz, who was picked up the Royal Challengers for INR 50 Lakhs, credited the senior pros in his side for giving him the confidence to express himself. "Gayle, Kohli and de Villiers gave me tips to improve my batting. Very soon, I will be bringing them into practice. Kohli, in particular, helped me a lot. He was more of a friend than mentor or captain," Sarfaraz opined.

When asked about the dream of playing for national side, Sarfaraz said, "It is hard to say how far that goal is but the way I am working, I am confident that I will get to play for the country in future."

Sarfaraz's father, Naushad Khan, said that the entire family is backing Sarfaraz to come good in cricket. "I have given Sarfaraz to cricket. Sarfaraz's mother gets up at half past four in the morning and cooks food for us. We leave our house at five o'clock and start practice from seven o'clock. We come back home at 8 PM and after having dinner we fall asleep at nine o'clock. This routine has continued for many years."