By Kavita Mistry 
Sarfaraz Khan scored a brilliant century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 match between Mumbai and Assam in Lucknow. He reached his hundred in the final over of Mumbai’s innings. This was an important knock for him ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Match Summary
Mumbai batted first. Ayush Mhatre, who had two back-to-back hundreds earlier, got out in the fourth over. Sarfaraz came in at number three and started slowly. Suryakumar Yadav scored 20 off 12 balls, and Ajinkya Rahane made 42 off 32. Hardik Pandya, playing for Baroda in another match, scored an unbeaten 77.
Sarfaraz’s Standout Knock
As the innings progressed, Sarfaraz began to attack. He hit seven sixes and eight fours. This was his first T20 match in two years. He reached his maiden T20 century off the second-last ball of the innings. It came in his 97th T20 match.
Career Impact
Before this, Sarfaraz had only three T20 fifties, with a top score of 67. Despite strong domestic form, he has been overlooked for India’s national team. He scored 150 in a Test against New Zealand last year but was dropped after a few poor matches. His new T20 century has renewed demands for his selection for India’s Test series against Sri Lanka in 2026.