Sarfaraz Khan's long-cherished dream of donning the Indian cricket jersey is closer to becoming a reality.

The anticipation ended on Monday when he received his maiden call-up to the Indian team, stepping into the breach left by K L Rahul, who was ruled out of the second Test against England, commencing on February 2 at the Dr Y S Rajashekar Reddy ACA-VDCA international cricket stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Sarfaraz's inclusion is well deserved, backed by an exceptional performance in the unofficial Test match against England Lions at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

His dazzling 161 off 166 deliveries, adorned with 18 fours and 5 sixes, not only secured victory for India A by 16 runs, but also earned him the Player of the Match accolade.

Upon the announcement, Mumbai team-mate Suryakumar Yadav swiftly took to Instagram to extend his heartfelt congratulations to Sarfaraz.

Sharing a snapshot of the duo, SKY captioned it, 'Happiest here. Maiden India call up. Utsav ki taiyaarrii karo' (Prepare for the celebration).'

Sarfaraz reposted the message on his Instagram handle, enhancing the moment with the background music of Aashayein from the iconic Bollywood movie Iqbal, adding a touch of euphoria to his well deserved call.