NEW DELHI: Being overlooked for both the national and India 'A' sides can be disheartening, but Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan continues to receive unwavering support from his teammates. Fellow player Siddhesh Lad said on Friday that the squad is rallying around Sarfaraz 'in every way possible' to keep his spirits high.

Sarfaraz, who earned a Test call-up earlier this year following a string of prolific domestic performances, has struggled to find his rhythm in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. In three matches so far, the 28-year-old has managed scores of 42, 32, 1, 15, and 5 not out - a far cry from his usual dominance with the bat.

Despite being part of India's squad for the Australia tour, Sarfaraz has since found himself out of contention for both national selection and India 'A' opportunities, making his current phase a testing one.

"At the end, he is a human being and everyone makes some mistakes. There is always that (rough) patch for big players. If we look at the last 4-5 years, he has consistently scored runs," Lad told the media in Mumbai on the eve of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh.

"Somewhere, it could be demotivating as a player but at this time, it is up to us as a team and support staff as to how do we lift him up? We know his potential and if he plays (well), he will play big innings. As a team, we will try to lift his confidence in any way we can," Lad added.

In the Elite Group D standings, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Jammu & Kashmir are locked on 10 points each. However, Siddhesh Lad said the 42-time Ranji Trophy champions are confident of capitalizing on their upcoming home advantage.

Mumbai are set to face Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry before the mid-season break, and Lad noted that the team has adapted well to the conditions at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) Ground. The surface, he said, has played slower and offered more turn than usual this season due to the extended monsoon, making familiarity with the pitch a key factor in their campaign.

"Both these matches are very important for us. We have to finish the first leg well. I feel as a team we have done well. We made some mistakes in the first innings (against Rajasthan) but we have learned from our mistakes," Lad said.

"Of course, if you are playing at your home, you know the conditions, (and) everything about the pitch. We are well prepared in that way. We know that it is very important to win both the games for us if we want to qualify in the knockout stage."

Mumbai, who had Yashasvi Jaiswal (67 and 156) in their ranks for the away game in Jaipur, conceded a 363-run lead in the first innings to Rajasthan in the first innings. But riding on Jaiswal’s second innings ton, Mumbai were able to force a draw.

"We didn't give the outright win. We batted really well in the second inning. Especially Yashasvi and Musheer Khan. (We are) very happy (that) Musheer is back in form. We know he has got the potential to score big runs," he said.

The Mumbai middle-order mainstay said his experience has helped him overcome pressure situations given high exceptions from his team.

"Any game for Mumbai, (or) even for the club cricket, pressure will be always there because if I go and play for (a) club, there will be expectations from me. If we play for Mumbai, all (of) India watches your score (and) your scorecard. There are high expectations always from the Mumbai team," he said.

"Even if we lose the finals, it is counted as a bad year for us, so there is always pressure. But now, my experience has helped me to overcome the pressure when the team needs," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)