He last played an international Test match in November 2024.
Comebacks are one of the most beautiful things in sport. It can ignite love for the processes to be followed, and has the ability to instil belief in masses. India batter Sarfaraz Khan might just be on the brink of a handsome comeback into the Test side. The Mumbai-based batter scored a fantastic century in the opening match of the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025. The century came against the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association XI. What adds to the beauty of the knock is the fact that it came in extremely testing conditions. The right-hander walked in to bat at No.5 and made the position his own.
TBW
30/1
VSS
161/7
ROR
–
AMR
–
KNK
–
BVB
–
AMR
–
VSS
–
SKA
–
SLK
–
NDT
–
NDS
–
EDR
–
PD
–
EDRW
88/10
CDQW
1/0
SDSW
–
EDRW
–
THCC
155/3
MRSC
153/1
THCC ROT-GELB Hamburg beat Masroor Sports Club by 7 wickets
THCC
146/5
KHTC
66/1
MRSC
–
KSV
–
KHTC
–
MTV
–
KSV
–
MTV
–
KHTC
–
MRSC
–
THCC
–
KSV
–
MTV
–
MRSC
–
KSV
–
KHTC
–
THCC
–
MTV
–
SURR
22/0
HAM
–
MID
–
KENT
–
JJ
–
KUMS
–
BNC
–
GUJCC
–
KZK
–
NCMI
–
SBSCC
–
CEC-A
–
MYW
–
BNB
–
Match start delayed due to rain
GBM
–
HBT
–
GBM
–
SML
–
MGD
–
HBT
–
YSG
–
MAT
–
RNC
–
IAI
–
ROS
–
RNC
–
MUT
–
YSG
–
AUS
–
SA
–
SOB
–
OVI
–
TRR
–
MAO
–
SBW-W
–
OIW-W
–
TRW-W
–
MOW-W
–
NEP
144/7
MS-A
175/7
Melbourne Stars Academy beat Nepal by 31 runs
NTS
145/7
ACOM
105/10
Northern Territory Strike beat Australian Capital Territory by 40 runs
MR-A
31/2
PS
178/5
AS-A
–
PSA
–
CHK
–
PS
–
NEP
–
HHA
–
NTS
–
BANA
–
KARS
65/3
GOLS
–
NOSK
–
LUF
–
KASS
–
KARS
–
MEMA
–
LUF
–
Sarfaraz Khan was dropped from the Indian Test team after the New Zealand series in November last year. In three games, he scored 171 runs, including a knock of 150 in the second innings of the first Test at Bengaluru. The Indian team was bundled out for 47 in the first innings of that Test as Matt Henry ran past the batting order. But Sarfaraz gave some respite in the second innings, with a blistering knock, which was also his maiden Test century. The right-hander also holds three half-centuries to his name in six Test appearances for India.
However, the Indian team was set to tour Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November 2024. The 27-year-old was named in the squad and boarded the flight Down Under. But unfortunately, he wasn’t given a single game on Australian soil. The series was not as good for India as the last two series Down Under. What raised concerns was Sarfaraz’s exclusion from the squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Though selectors would have had multiple choices in front of them, the exclusion of Sarfaraz was a shock for most fans.
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Runs is one part of the equation, mindset and fitness are the others. The batter from Mumbai has had a very rusty career behind him, but has refused to give up. Every time he was put under the pump, Sarfaraz Khan came back with a stronger version. His brief stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came to a halt after then skipper Virat Kohli asked him to focus on his fitness. Since then, Sarfaraz hasn’t looked back. His performances in the domestic circuit were always impressive, but he had backed them up with changes in his fitness too.
In a recent update, the former RCB batter revealed a new avatar of himself. Sarfaraz lost 17 kilograms in a matter of months, taking social media by storm. Though he was highly regarded by fans, this transformation speaks volumes of his ability to fight and strive for excellence. With the transformation and performances like these to back it up, the 27-year-old will surely be difficult to get past the selectors’ eyes. India are scheduled to host the West Indies for a Test series later this year.
Apart from his recent milestone in the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025, Sarfaraz’s numbers in domestic cricket speak for themselves. In 55 First-class games, he has scored 4,685 runs at an average nearing 71. To add to that, he holds 16 hundreds and 15 half-centuries in First-class cricket, with a highest score of an unbeaten 301. Sarfaraz has shown that he can work his way through difficult batting wickets. His innings in Bengaluru against New Zealand was a prime example of the same. When the discussions for the West Indies Test series begin, Sarfaraz Khan would be one of the first names to be picked in the squad.
