After topping the charts in the 2021/22 season of the Ranji Trophy, Sarfaraz Khan has carried his extraordinary form into the Irani Trophy. The 24-year-old scored a 92-ball century on Saturday for Rest of India and went on to finish on 138 off 178 balls on Sunday as he helped his team reach a total of 346/7 in reply to Saurashtra's 98 all out.
Sarfaraz earned praise from all quarters for his century, something that has become a feature of the domestic season. Among those hailing him were former Mumbai captain and the current world No.2 batter in T20 internationals, Suryakumar Yadav. “So so so Proud of you,” said Suryakumar in a tweet.
Sarfaraz had made his first class debut for Mumbai under the captaincy of Suryakumar, who led the side in the 2014 season. Sarfaraz was the top-scorer in last season's Ranji Trophy, scoring 982 runs in six matches at an average of 122.75 with the help of four centuries and two fifties.
{{/usCountry}}Sarfaraz had made his first class debut for Mumbai under the captaincy of Suryakumar, who led the side in the 2014 season. Sarfaraz was the top-scorer in last season's Ranji Trophy, scoring 982 runs in six matches at an average of 122.75 with the help of four centuries and two fifties.
{{/usCountry}}That came on the back of a successful 2019-20—his comeback season with Mumbai—during which he scored 928 runs in six matches at an average of 154.66. The 24-year-old continued with his rich form in the Duleep Trophy as he scored a century for West Zone in the second innings of the final against South Zone.
Rest of India fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Sen and Umran Malik reigned supreme as they manage to dismiss a Saurashtra side that had seasoned veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson for just 98 runs. Sarfaraz's century alongwith half centuries from captain Hanuma Vihari and Saurabh Kumar have helped ROI build a lead of over 257 runs.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar has established himself as one of the most destructive T20I batters in world. He has scored a whopping 732 runs this year, which is already the most by an Indian in a calendar year in the shortest format, at a strike rate of an eye watering 180.2 with five half centuries and two centuries. Suryakumar goes into the T20 World Cup later this month as one of the most important cogs in India's batting lineup.