Sarfaraz Khan makes his presence felt in Irani Cup

Arijit Bose
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SportsTak

Lucknow: India’s 26-year-old batting sensation Sarfaraz Khan created history, October 2 as he became the first Mumbai batter to score a double century in the Irani Cup. Not just this he also became just the fourth-youngest player to score a double century in the Irani Cup history. He achieved this milestone while representing Mumbai in the Irani Cup 2024 match against Rest of India in Lucknow.

Sarfaraz completed his double century in 253 deliveries riding on barrage of boundaries on second day of the match. His teammate, Yashasvi Jaiswal, holds the record for the youngest double century in the Irani Cup, having achieved it at the age of 21 years and 63 days.

Pravin Amre and Gundappa Viswanath are the other two players who have achieved this feat at a younger age than Sarfaraz.

Sarfaraz’s double century was also the highest score by a Mumbai batter in the Irani Cup, surpassing the previous record of 195 runs held by Ramnath Parkar since 1972.

Sarfaraz Khan’s double century in the Irani Cup not only boosted Mumbai’s position but also further solidified his reputation as a prolific run-scorer in First-Class cricket. His 15th century in this format helped Mumbai build a strong lead on Day 2 of the match.

Despite a brief partnership with captain Ajinkya Rahane, who fell just short of his century, Sarfaraz’s brilliant double ton propelled Mumbai to a commanding total of 487 for 8 in 128 overs.

While Sarfaraz was part of the Indian squad for the recent Test series against Bangladesh, he was unable to secure a place in the playing eleven due to the intense competition for middle-order spots. His highly-anticipated Test debut against England, which came after the absence of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, saw him make an immediate impact with 200 runs in five innings, including three fifties. However, the return of Kohli and Pant for the Bangladesh series resulted in Sarfaraz being dropped from the playing eleven. KL Rahul’s impressive performance in the no.5 position during the Kanpur Test ensured his continued selection.

Sarfaraz’s exceptional First-Class record, with over 4000 runs at an average of almost 70, makes him a strong contender for a place in India’s upcoming Test assignments against New Zealand and Australia.

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