Indian captain Rohit Sharma warned Sarfaraz nearly two weeks ago, after the youngster attempted a risky stunt by fielding at forward short leg without wearing a helmet.
Rohit’s warning proved prescient on Saturday when Sarfaraz narrowly avoided a potentially serious head injury while fielding. This incident occurred shortly before India secured a convincing win by an innings and 64 runs in the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala.
The incident unfolded when a length ball from left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was struck by England batter Shoaib Bashir towards square leg. The ball hit Sarfaraz on his helmet but fortunately bounced off, averting a potential injury.
“Oye, hero nahi banne ka,” Rohit exclaimed as he promptly approached Sarfaraz in the fourth Test in Ranchi, emphasising the danger of the situation. Sarfaraz attempted to convince him that getting the helmet would be time-consuming.
On-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena also intervened, asserting, “No, you cannot do that,” and clarified that wearing a helmet is mandatory for close-in fielders.