Mumbai batsman Sarfaraz Khan is in the purplest of patches as the right-hander notched up another first-class century, on Saturday during the Irani Trophy match against Saurashtra while batting for Rest of India.
He finished with 138 runs off 178 balls, scored with the help of 20 fours and 2 sixes. This was Sarfaraz’s 10th first-class ton in 28 matches to go with 8 fifties.
Sarfaraz Khan breaks Don Bradman’s record; gets attention of the national selectors
With this knock of 138, Sarfaraz now has scored more runs at the 43 first-class innings mark than legendary Australian batsman Don Bradman had scored after 43 first-class knocks.
The Mumbai batsman has amassed 2928 runs after 43 innings while Bradman has recorded 2927 runs in the first 43 innings of his first-class career. Comparing more of their records at the same point in their careers, Bradman averaged 83.63 after 43 first-class knocks and had notched up 12 centuries; Sarfaraz has an average of 81.33 and has hit 10 centuries so far.
This is a staggering feat that Sarfaraz has accomplished- one that has got everyone championing his name for a maiden India call-up the next time India play Test matches.
The 24-year-old Sarfaraz Khan has made it impossible now for the selectors to ignore him after ransacking big runs in domestic first-class cricket for consecutive seasons. He had a big Ranji Trophy season when he piled up 982 runs in merely 6 matches recording an average of 122.75 with 4 centuries.
In the Ranji trophy, Sarfaraz Khan become the first batsman to record over 900 runs in consecutive seasons: he had amassed 928 runs in the 2019-20 season, and followed it up with 982 runs last season.
He had continued his Midas touch in the Duleep Trophy as well – when he struck a century in the final of the Duleep Trophy helping West Zone defeat South Zone.
