With an incredible century, Sarfaraz Khan led Mumbai to a decisive victory in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, delivering a game-changing effort. The right-hander helped Mumbai win by a commanding 87 runs and solidify their position at the top of Elite Group C by smashing 157 runs off just 75 balls against Goa.
Sarfaraz gave the openers credit for skilfully managing the early swing, which freed him up to play freely.
While batting alongside his younger brother Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz developed a strong partnership and served as a mentor. Musheer laid a solid foundation for the innings with a crucial 60. Sarfaraz subsequently acknowledged that he had anticipated both of them would reach three figures in the same match and was sad that his brother had not achieved a well-earned century.
“Musheer was batting pretty well by the time I reached the crease. He was the first person to turn fifty. I understand how to pace an innings and have played a lot of one-dayers. You can’t have more than five fielders out in this configuration, and I have a strong sweep and cut. Sarfaraz told the Times of India, “That allows me to play my shots.”
“This season and last week, we came quite close in the Ranji Trophy, but we both finished in the fifties. Musheer was hitting so good today, so I believed we could win. However, he noted, “dreams don’t come true that quickly.”
Despite having excellent domestic cricket form, Sarfaraz has been consistently passed over for India’s limited-overs squads. Even though he has played in Test cricket, his omission from ODIs and T20Is continues to create concerns. Ahead of his selection for the forthcoming New Zealand ODI series, his recent century against Goa has further bolstered his cause.
The 15-man Team India roster for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand is expected to be announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday, January 3. On January 11, the series will start in Vadodara, while on January 14, the second ODI will take place in Rajkot. On January 18, the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore is set to host the third and final game.
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