In their Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Jaipur on Wednesday, Mumbai defeated Goa by 87 runs thanks to Sarfaraz Khan's incredible performance. Sarfaraz scored 157 runs off 75 balls while batting at number four, including 14 sixes and nine fours. The knock supported Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) choice to buy him at the IPL 2026 auction for his basic price of Rs 75 lakh.
His knock against Goa had such an impact that former Indian cricketer R Ashwin used X to highlight his performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and urge CSK to use him as an Impact Player or in the playing XI. Ashwin noted that the 28-year-old's batting form might make him a valuable asset for CSK in the forthcoming campaign.
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Ashwin posted, “100*(47), 52(40), 64(25), 73(22) in the SMAT. That form’s transitioned seamlessly into the Hazare with scores of 55(49) followed by a blistering 157(75) today with 14 sixes. It's particularly impressive how he murders spin in the middle overs with his sweeps and slog sweeps. 'Avan kadhava thattala, idichi odachitu irukaan.' ( He is not knocking on the door, he is breaking it open ) CSK should look at riding his purple patch by slotting him into the Playing XII surely? A genuine problem of plenty with the bat for the men in yellove this season! Can't wait for IPL 2026!”
100*(47), 52(40), 64(25), 73(22) in the SMAT. That form’s transitioned seamlessly into the Hazare with scores of 55(49) followed by a blistering 157(75) today with 14 sixes. It's particularly impressive how he murders spin in the middle overs with his sweeps and slog sweeps.… pic.twitter.com/MfBWAD6QH8— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) December 31, 2025
Sarfaraz scored 329 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 203.08 and an average of 65.80 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier in 2025. He was bought by CSK in the IPL 2026 auction following his SMAT performance.
Ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai have assembled a formidable batting unit. Last year, the team traded Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson. Ruturaj Gaikwad, South African Dewald Brevis, India U19 opener Ayush Mhatre, and all-rounder Shivam Dube are also members of the team.
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