Hyderabad, Jan 23 (IANS) India batter Sarfaraz Khan struck a fluent double century off 206 balls for Mumbai against Hyderabad in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday.

Sarfaraz registered the fifth first-class double hundred of his career, as he was eventually dismissed for 227 off 219 deliveries. His knock featured 19 fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 103.65, including 45 runs taken off India pacer and Hyderabad skipper Mohammed Siraj in just 39 balls.

He also shared a 249-run stand with stand-in skipper Siddhesh Lad (104) for the fourth wicket, steering Mumbai past 500 after the side had slipped to 82-3. His innings has helped turn the match firmly in Mumbai’s favour, as Sarfaraz also went past 5,000 first-class runs tally.

The right-hander has been in prolific form of late. He recently lit up the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a record 15-ball half-century against Punjab – the fastest by an Indian male batter in List A cricket – breaking the record of reaching the mark in 16 deliveries previously held by Abhijit Kale and Atit Sheth.

Sarfaraz eventually finished as Mumbai’s top scorer in the 50-over tournament with 303 runs coming at a strike rate of 190.56. Sarfaraz last featured for India in a Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in November 2024, but has continued to press his case for a recall into the national set-up with consistent domestic performances.

He was Mumbai’s second-highest run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season with 329 runs in seven matches at an average of 65.80 and a strike rate of 203.80. Sarfaraz also earned an IPL 2026 contract with five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at his base price of Rs. 75 lakh.

–IANS

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