WATCH: Sarfaraz Khan smashes maiden T20 century, emotional reaction goes VIRAL
Star Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan smashed his maiden T20 century in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Assam, ending speculation over his exclusion.
Sarfaraz Khan smashes maiden T20 century
New Delhi: Sarfaraz Khan silenced his critics by hitting his maiden T20 century in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy group stage match against Assam at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday. The Mumbai right-hander has been in headlines due to his exclusion since India's home Test series defeat to South Africa, with fans and experts questioning his continued non-selection despite a prolific run in the Ranji Trophy.
Notably, the game against Assam marked Sarfaraz's first T20 match in two years. He reached his century off the second-last ball of the innings, helping his team post a total of 220. His 47-ball innings included eight fours and seven sixes.
Sarfaraz celebrated his maiden century with a loud roar
After reaching his century, Sarfaraz celebrated with a loud roar, enjoying the applause from the non-striker and his Mumbai teammates. Prior to his innings against Assam, Sarfaraz had only three half-centuries in T20s, with a top score of 67. His performance serves as a timely reminder to all ten IPL teams ahead of the auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
The 28-year-old batter has been excluded from the national setup despite scoring runs in domestic cricket. Last year, he scored 150 in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand. However, his poor performances in the following two matches resulted in him being left out of the playing XI for the entire Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Sarfaraz was left out of the for this year's England series
Sarfaraz was later left out of the squad for this year's England series. He appeared in just one match for India A against the England Lions and delivered a brilliant performance, yet it still fell short of earning him a place in the national team.
The star batter was also left out of the squads for the home series against the West Indies and South Africa. However, India's poor show against the Proteas has reignited calls to include him in the national team for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka in 2026.
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