Sarfaraz Khan has been in fine form in SMAT 2025-26.
India batter Sarfaraz Khan showed his power-hitting game in the latest Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 fixture between Mumbai and Haryana in Pune. He has played some good innings recently, but this particular performance clearly showcased his white-ball ability, an aspect of his game he is not usually known for.
Sarfaraz scored 64 runs in 25 balls, including nine boundaries and three sixes, at a strike rate of 256. 84.37% of his runs came via fours and maximums, and he scored 26.89% of the team’s runs alone.
Mumbai were off to a flyer after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ajinkya Rahane provided a brisk start, and Sarfaraz Khan continued from where Rahane left. His knock helped Mumbai retain the momentum even after Rahane’s dismissal and remain well in the chase.
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He weaved a big 88-run partnership with Jaiswal for the second wicket before losing his wicket in the 10th over. However, Sarfaraz had put his team in a comfortable position by then, and Mumbai eventually chased down a massive 235-run target in 17.3 overs with four wickets to spare.
As consistent as Sarfaraz Khan has been in red-ball cricket, he hasn’t really been as effective in white-ball formats, even if he showed flashes of brilliance in the initial phase of his career. However, his recent outings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, especially his latest against Haryana, depict his work on his power game and can be a nice addition to any IPL team.
Indian middle-order batters are valuable, and several franchises have slots vacant to fill with such players. For instance, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) need a few Indian batters for their main XI, whereas Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) need backups.
Sarfaraz Khan fits in all of them and should get a decent bid, if not a high sum, at IPL 2026 auction. His recent improvements, combined with his overall quality and strokeplay ability, make him an exciting prospect, and the team buying him can utilise his recent form.
A few decent knocks at the right time have certainly boosted his chances, especially since recency bias plays a massive role at IPL auctions. Then, Sarfaraz also brings previous experience and skills that few other batters available in the auction do.
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