Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 24 (ANI): Star Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan said he is very clear about keeping his focus on cricket and that there is a healthy competition between his brother and himself.

Sarfaraz has come close to Australian legend Don Bradman's record in first-class cricket, a format in which he has the second-highest batting average of all time and sits next to the Aussie great in the charts.

Sarfaraz's first-class average stands at massive 80.47, next to Bradman who had a towering average of 95.14. Though the India 'A' tour of Bangladesh did not bring him much success, he has hit three Ranji Trophy centuries since then in 2022-23 season.

In the previous two Ranji seasons, he had aggregated 982 runs (2021-22 season) and 928 runs (2019-20 season).

Also, in the last two Ranji seasons, he scored seven centuries, including a triple ton against UP in January 2020. His latest exploit with the bat was an inning of 125 runs in 155 balls against Delhi, which came when his team was struggling after losing early wickets.

His inning helped Mumbai recover from the early blows inflicted by Delhi's new-ball bowlers and eventually took them to a respectable total of 293.

"I am very clear about keeping my focus on cricket," Sarfaraz Khan told MyySports App.

Highlighting how playing on different pitches improved his game, Sarfaraz said," I play 500 to 700 balls every day. I am addicted to making runs."Sarfaraz' younger brother Musheer Khan played a marathon knock of 339 runs in the first innings for Mumbai in a match for the CK Naidu Trophy against Hyderabad. Musheer hit 34 fours and nine sixes in his 367-ball innings.

On how the siblings are comrades-in-arms on the field and rivals off it, Sarfaraz said, "There is healthy competition between my brother and me. Sometimes he tries to take my wicket while and I try not to lose my wicket. So, both our games are improving rapidly at the same time."With such massive numbers against his name, fans and many former cricketers are clamouring for his maiden national call-up in Test cricket. His omission from Test squads for the series against Bangladesh in December last year and against Australia in February this year, has led many to question what more the batter needs to do to win a national cap.

A possible reason could be concerns around his fitness. Also, while he has been piling up runs in domestic cricket, he hasn't had similar success while turning out for India 'A', a tier below the national cricket team.

In six innings for India 'A', he aggregated a mere 205 runs at an average of 34.16. Just before the start of the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy, he scored 21 and 0 in his two innings during India 'A' tour of Bangladesh. (ANI)