2024-10-03 02:03:23
Lucknow: Mumbai’s star batsman Sarfaraz Khan’s double century not only put pressure on the rest of India in the Irani Cup match but may also create problems for experienced KL Rahul before the Indian team’s tour of Australia next month. Sarfaraz scored 221 runs in 276 balls and became the first batsman to score a double century in the Irani Cup for 42-time champion Mumbai.
At the end of the second day’s play, Mumbai had scored 536 runs for nine wickets. Wasim Jaffer (Vidarbha), Ravi Shastri, Praveen Amre and Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rest of India) have scored double centuries in the Irani Cup. It was a tough week for Sarfaraz as his younger brother Musheer was out of action for 16 weeks after being injured in a road accident.
Musheer also had to play this match. Sarfaraz hit 25 fours and four sixes in his innings. Captain Ajinkya Rahane (97 runs in 234 balls) missed the century by three runs, but the second day was entirely in the name of Sarfaraz. This is his 15th first-class century, with this he has again staked his claim for the middle order in the Indian Test team.
Rahul, who took back his place from Sarfaraz in the middle order, performed well in Kanpur, but the team management and Rahul himself know how big the challenge of Sarfaraz is. Sarfaraz added 183 runs for the seventh wicket with Tanush Kotian (64).