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Sarfaraz Khan pounds Ranji Trophy double century, forces Agarkar-Gambhir to rethink amid India’s red-ball slump
Sarfaraz Khan carried his rich form from the Vijay Hazare Trophy into the Ranji Trophy after the tournament resumed, producing a magnificent double century.
Sarfaraz Khan once again made a compelling case for a return to the Test setup with a standout performance that underlined his consistency and hunger for runs. The Mumbai batter extended his purple patch in domestic cricket with an incredible double century in the Ranji Trophy. The right-hander, who earned his Test cap during the 2024 tour of England, found himself out of favour after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a series in which he did not get a game. Since then, Sarfaraz has let his bat do the talking. The Mumbai batter has piled on runs across domestic competitions, showing the same intensity and assurance regardless of the format.
He carried his rich form from the Vijay Hazare Trophy into the Ranji Trophy after the tournament resumed, producing a magnificent double hundred against Hyderabad. Another big knock only strengthened his case, keeping him firmly in the conversation for national selection. Coming out to bat at number 5, Sarfaraz stamped his authority in domestic cricket and smashed 227 runs off 219 balls, which was embellished with 19 fours and 9 sixes, which put Mumbai on top. It served as yet another reminder to the Ajit Agarkar–led selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir to revisit his case amid India’s ongoing struggles in red-ball cricket.
He went after Team India's premier pacer Mohammed Siraj and smashed him for 45 runs off 39 balls to showcase his batting quality against one of the best in the business. Riding on Sarafraz's knock and skipper Siddesh Lad's century, Mumbai posted a mammoth 560 to take an edge over Hyderabad.
Sarfaraz Khan out of India's red-ball set-up since BGT 2024-25
The 28-year-old was last seen in India’s playing XI during the disappointing home series against New Zealand in 2024, which ended in a rare whitewash. While most Indian batters found the going tough, he stood out with a fighting 150 that highlighted his ability to perform under pressure. Despite that effort, he did not feature in the subsequent tour of Australia, where he remained on the sidelines throughout the series. His absence continued as he was overlooked for the England tour and later missed out on selection for the home series against West Indies and South Africa as well. Since then, he has been out of the national setup, making his recent domestic performances all the more significant.
