Sarfaraz Khan made a surprise comeback to T20 cricket by scoring his maiden century in T20 cricket during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match between Mumbai and Assam. The 28-year-old batsman’s innings came ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, which is scheduled to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
On Tuesday, December 2, Mumbai were asked to bat first at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. In-form opener Ayush Mhatre, who had scored centuries in his last two matches, was out in the fourth over itself. Sarfaraz came in at number three and started his innings quietly, taking time to settle down at the crease.
Sarfaraz Khan scored his first T20 century in SMAT
Sarfaraz Khan took an aggressive stance and started clearing the ropes with ease. The right-handed batsman completed his century on the last ball of Mumbai’s innings. He scored 100 runs in 47 balls, which included eight fours and seven sixes.
He also shared a quick 50-run partnership with India captain Suryakumar Yadav. His innings helped Mumbai reach an impressive score of 220 runs for four wickets in 20 overs.
Sarfaraz, who last played a T20 match on November 2, 2023, made his way into the eleven in place of Shivam Dubey and took advantage of the opportunity by batting higher up the order.
This innings came at a crucial time for Mumbai, especially when they are likely to lose Suryakumar Yadav and possibly Dube in the next round of SMAT matches due to international duties.
Sarfaraz Khan sends strong message to CSK, RCB, MI and others ahead of IPL auction
Before this innings, Sarfaraz Khan’s highest score in this format was 67. He has scored 1,288 runs in 97 T20 matches at an average of over 24 and a strike rate of over 132. The right-handed batsman has scored 585 runs in 50 IPL games.
After going unsold in the 2025 IPL auction, Sarfaraz Khan has put his name in the pool, and this century could give him a strong chance of making a comeback in the IPL.
Khan has not played in the last two IPL seasons. He struggled to find consistency during his stints with Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where he recorded only one IPL half-century in 2019.
Ishan Kishan shines in SMAT 2025; Devdutt Padikkal scored a century for Karnataka
Ishan Kishan is leading Jharkhand in SMAT 2025. On Tuesday, he scored 93 runs in 50 balls against Saurashtra in Ahmedabad. Starting the innings, the left-handed batsman hit 11 fours and 3 sixes.
Ishan was close to scoring another century but was out in the 17th over off the bowling of Jaydev Unadkat. In the last match, he had scored unbeaten 113 runs in 50 balls.
In another match, Devdutt Padikkal performed brilliantly for Karnataka against Tamil Nadu. He remained unbeaten on 102 runs in 46 balls with the help of 10 fours and 6 sixes and led Karnataka to victory by 145 runs.
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