Sarfaraz Khan’s unbeaten 139 on Monday propelled Mumbai to a commanding position against Himachal Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy Group D match at the Luhnu Cricket Ground in Bilaspur. After a quiet start in Mumbai’s opener against Chandigarh, Sarfaraz bounced back with his 18th first-class century, steering Mumbai to 398 for four at the close of Day Two and a lead of 258 runs.
Sarfaraz faced 213 balls, striking 18 fours to build a patient and dominant innings. His 139 not out underlined his consistency in domestic cricket, where his first-class average stood at 62.92 before the match. Despite being overlooked for the India Test squad’s New Zealand tour and India A’s recent series, Sarfaraz reinforced his reputation as one of the domestic circuit’s most reliable batters.
Mumbai’s captain Siddhesh Lad contributed 87 runs off 188 balls, including 14 fours and a six, falling just short of a century. Wicketkeeper-batter Akash Anand remained unbeaten on 58 from 152 balls, while Musheer Khan added 57 off 137 deliveries. Lad and Musheer combined for a 122-run partnership for the third wicket before Lad and Sarfaraz put on 68 for the fourth wicket. Following Lad’s dismissal at mid-off, Sarfaraz and Anand forged an undefeated 176-run stand for the fifth wicket, facing 306 balls together.
Mumbai’s innings-and-155-run victory over Chandigarh in the opening round set the tone for their current campaign, with the 42-time champions looking to extend their advantage further on Day Three and push for a bonus-point win.
Sarfaraz’s recent national team involvement has been limited. He was named as an injury replacement for B Sai Sudharsan during India’s Test series in Sri Lanka in August but missed the New Zealand tour after Sudharsan recovered. He has not appeared for India A since last year’s home series against South Africa A.
Elsewhere in the Ranji Trophy, Delhi captain Ayush Badoni produced a career-best 217 against Gujarat in their Elite Group C match at the Palam ‘B’ ground in New Delhi. This marked Badoni’s third first-class double century. He faced 246 balls, hitting 22 fours and two sixes in a dominant performance alongside Priyansh Arya, who scored 199. Delhi declared their innings at 648 for six on Day Two. Gujarat replied with 98 for two, with off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen claiming both wickets.
Sarfaraz’s innings for Mumbai remains the standout performance of the day, setting up a strong platform as Mumbai seek to consolidate their position in the Group D clash. The match continues on Day Three with Mumbai well placed to press their advantage.
According to Yahoo Sports.