IPL 8: Sarfaraz Naushad Khan, a star is born

It's not easy to impress Virat Kohli. So, when the skipper sauntered through the outfield after the completion of the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings on Wednesday, the television cameras followed him the moment he left the dugout. Out came the smile and down went the head. If lip-readers can be trusted, Kohli said, "Haanji, kya baat hai ji..." The namaste sealed it. It was reserved for the star of the evening, Sarfaraz Naushad Khan. Age: 17. Runs: 45 not out. Balls: 21. Fours: 6. Sixes: 1.

When Sarfaraz hit a couple of boundaries confidently, he immediately overshadowed the more experienced Dinesh Karthik. The roar of the crowd grew louder when the teenager was on strike — the clapping and cheering reaching a crescendo. This is not Sarfaraz's first match in the big league but this is the match where Sarfaraz has announced his arrival, the match in which Sarfaraz became a star.

Sarfaraz is used to performing great deeds on the cricket field. From smashing a mammoth 439 in the iconic Harris Shield to smoking a 66-ball hundred in the ICC Under-19 World Cup, the wonderkid from Kurla has experienced the highs of junior cricket. Expectedly, he has garnered praise from the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Greg Chappell.

And that's one reason why dna has repeatedly told you his story. And retold it. That Sarfaraz was part of DNA 20 UNDER 20, a one-of-a-kind series commissioned in April 2013 and aimed at showcasing the city's best sporting talents, proves we were right.

But the IPL is something different, isn't it? Where else do you unleash a cheeky upper cut against James Faulkner, execute a ramp shot against Shane Watson, loft Pravin Tambe — two-and-a-half times as old as you! — over his head for a six and paddle-sweep your Mumbai mate Dhawal Kulkarni for a boundary?

Maybe that's what being 17 and fearless is all along. In any case, Sarfaraz is used to 'jumping the queue'. An Under-16 player at 12, an Under-19 recruit at 15, a Ranji player at 17 and, now, an IPL star at the same age.

During the course of his stay at the crease on Wednesday, Safaraz evoked comparisons with Javed Miandad the busy batsman, Viv Richards the gum-chewing daredevil and Tendulkar the teenager who tormented Abdul Qadir in an exhibition game. It was all justified.

"That's the first thing I taught him. To be fearless. We are poor people," says father Naushad Khan. The Khans, who live in Kurla's Taximen Colony, have experienced poverty first hand. Things are obviously better now. "Spending all those hours at Azad Maidan has helped Sarfaraz become what he is today," Naushad adds.

Anyone who knows the kid knows well that this is just the beginning of what promises to be a long, long journey. A typical Sarfaraz day — when he was a student of Rizvi Springfield, Bandra — would start at four in the morning. Two hours later, he would be at Azad Maidan, facing men double his age. One of them was Mumbai all-rounder Iqbal Abdulla, who plays for RCB now. He, too, was celebrating Sarfaraz's knock on Wednesday. He had good reason to. After all, it was Naushad who got him to the city from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

On Thursday, Naushad is planning a daawat for all those poor souls who have played a part in Sarfaraz's rise. "I will organise a feast for everyone who has helped us on the maidans. From the groundsmen to the people who serve us food and water, I want to thank them all," Naushad says.

Hailing the contribution of Bharat Arun, who worked his Sarfaraz during his India Under-19 days, Naushad says, "It's Bharat sir who made him this wonderful finisher. Sarfaraz bats at No. 6 only because of him. And it's a blessing that Bharat sir is part of the RCB dugout."

Naushad has only one more thing to add. "The one person getting inspired by watching Sarfaraz on TV is his brother," he says. Musheer Khan is only 10 years old. He is an all-rounder who bowls left-arm spin and bats right-handed. The chap has already played in the Kanga League. Just wait for a few more years.