SMAT 2025: Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan hits century off 47 balls vs Assam

Sarfaraz unleashed his hard-hitting strokeplay vs Assam . He hit seven sixes and eight boundaries to complete his fiery hundred.

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, Sarfaraz Khan slammed a brilliant century during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 encounter between Mumbai and Assam at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium, Ground B, on Tuesday. Sarfaraz reached the milestone in the final over of Mumbai’s innings.

 

Put in to bat first, Ayush Mhatre, who scored back-to-back hundreds in the previous two matches, departed in the fourth over. Sarfaraz Khan, who came to bat at number three, started his innings on a sedate note.

 

However, as the game progressed, Sarfaraz unleashed his hard-hitting strokeplay. He hit seven sixes and eight boundaries. 

This was Sarfaraz's first T20 game after two years. 28-year-old Sarfaraz reached his maiden T20 century off the penultimate ball of Mumbai's innings. He managed to reach the three-figure mark in his 97th T20 game. 

Before this knock, Sarfaraz had only three T20 half-centuries, with a highest score of 67, and despite consistent domestic performances, he has largely been overlooked in India’s national setup. He played a notable 150 in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand last year, but failures in the subsequent matches saw him dropped from both the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the series against England. The recent T20 exploits have reignited calls for his inclusion in India’s next Test series against Sri Lanka in 2026.

Meanwhile, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav struggled, scoring just 20 off 12 balls, while Ajinkya Rahane contributed a steady 42 off 32. Hardik Pandya returned to competitive cricket, scoring an unbeaten 77 for Baroda against Punjab in Hyderabad.