"Virat bhaiya's commitment is of the next level" - Sarfaraz Khan on learnings from Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers
Sarfaraz Khan has picked Virat Kohli's commitment as the biggest learning he drew from the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper during his time with the franchise.
Sarfaraz played 25 matches for the Bangalore-based franchise between 2015 and 2018. Although he wasn't too consistent, with his 228 runs coming at an average of 20.72, he had an excellent strike rate of 159.44 and played a few match-defining cameos.
On the Aakashvani show on JioCinema, Sarfaraz Khan was asked about his learnings from the time spent with Virat Kohli in the IPL, to which he responded:
"Virat bhaiya's commitment is of the next level. He watches a lot of matches. Whenever you see him, even if team parties are going on after the game, he watched a lot of matches there and used to see which bowler is doing what. So I learned a lot that how much he stays in the game."
Sarfaraz was further asked whether Kohli used to watch his own matches or any games, to which he replied:
"He used to watch whichever match was on, that what the bowler was doing. His entire attention was there, even if there was a lot of talk around, even while talking his eyes used to be focussed there only."
"When I played IPL in 2015-16, my fitness level was not good and Virat Kohli had told me that - After that, I improved my fitness." - Sarfaraz Khan (To Indian Express)
Kohli was at the peak of his powers during Sarfaraz's stint with RCB. The latter played five matches alongside the modern batting great in the 2016 edition of the league, a season in which Kohli smacked 973 runs at an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03.
"It is better not to talk about him" - Sarfaraz Khan on AB de Villiers
Sarfaraz Khan was also asked about his learnings from AB de Villiers and if the latter used to practice a lot, to which he replied:
"It is better not to talk about him. I saw him practice very few times. I asked him why he practices so less. He replied that he used to practice a lot when he was my age. I told him that I wanted to be like him, so he told me that he wasn't even half as good as me when he was my age. So he just asked me to continue playing."
Sarfaraz was finally asked about reports suggesting that he might be keeping wickets for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023, to which he replied:
"I got to know from social media that I might have to keep. So I ordered keeping gloves and pads. I kept in the Syed Mushtaq Ali as there was the impact-player rule. So I was told that if I keep wickets, they can play an extra all-rounder. So I kept wickets and enjoyed a lot as well."
Sarfaraz Khan likely to be the wicketkeeper of Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023. (Reported by TOI).
The Capitals will likely miss Rishabh Pant's services in this year's edition of the league due to the injuries he suffered in a horrific accident. The franchise will not only have to find a replacement skipper but also a player who can perform wicketkeeping duties.