
Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan reminded the selectors of his red-ball prowess with a commanding century in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament on Monday. The 27-year-old, who has featured in six Tests for India, scored a fluent 138 off 114 deliveries against TNCA XI at the Gojan Cricket Ground B before retiring hurt.
Walking in at No. 5 under the leadership of Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz’s knock was laced with 10 boundaries and six maximums. He built key partnerships along the way, including a 72-run stand with Suved Parkar (72 off 121) for the fourth wicket and a century-plus association with Aakash Parkar for the sixth wicket, setting up a strong total for Mumbai.
Sarfaraz has already made a notable impression in his brief international career. He struck two half-centuries on debut against England in Rajkot last year and followed it up with a superb 150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru in November 2024. Despite these performances, he was overlooked for India’s recent five-match series in England, with Karun Nair preferred instead.
The right-hander boasts an outstanding first-class average of 65.98 and has worked on improving his fitness in recent months. This latest century adds weight to his claim for a recall as India prepare for a busy home season. The team will host the West Indies in two Tests from October 2 to 14 in Ahmedabad and Delhi, followed by clashes against South Africa in Kolkata (November 14–18) and Guwahati (November 22–26).
After his outing in the Buchi Babu Invitational, Sarfaraz is set to link up with the West Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, which runs from August 28 to September 11. A few more strong performances there could put him firmly back in contention for India’s middle order.