Sarfaraz Khan made a stellar debut for India in the third Test against England in Rajkot where he scored half centuries in both the innings.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been a stepping stone for young Indian cricketers and even veteran stars to make their way into the national side. But how often has it gone the other way round, where a player has performed so well in national colours that it tempted IPL franchises to get into a race to rope in the player? Sarfaraz Khan, who had gone unsold in the auction last December, is most likely to have an IPL contract in hand once again with teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings in a battle to sign the youngster after his stellar debut for India in the third Test against England in Rajkot.
Sarfaraz Khan had gone unsold in IPL 2024 auction
After years of consistent performances in the domestic tournaments, Sarfaraz managed to break into the Indian team earlier in January, before earning his maiden international cap last week in Rajkot at the Niranjan Shah Stadium after KL Rahul failed to recover from his quadriceps pain. Despite Ravindra Jadeja earning the Player of the Match award following his all-round brilliance and Yashasvi Jaiswal smashing a second consecutive double ton, Sarfaraz did hog a bit of the limelight with his stunning batting performance as he scored half-centuries in both the innings.
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Sarfaraz suffered a heartbreaking run out in the first innings for 68 runs, where he looked well set to complete his century. He, however, bounced back in style to dominate against the England spinners to scored 62 not out in a crucial unbeaten 172-run stand alongside Jaiswal in the second innings, which helped India win by 434 runs.
Following a fascinating debut in Rajkot, a report in Anandabazar Patrika revealed that as many as three franchises are eager to sign Sarfaraz, who had gone unsold at a base price of INR 20 lakhs in December last year. According to the report, KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir advised the authorities in the franchise to rope in the 27-year-old in a bid to strengthen the batting line-up, which already boasts of the likes of Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Jason Roy, Andre Russell, among few others.
The report added that Chennai Super Kings are also in the fray to sign Sarfaraz, with Dhoni giving the green signal to the authorities. The other franchise in the battle to sign the youngster is Royal Challengers Bangalore, whom Sarfaraz has already represented in three IPL seasons between 2015 and 2018, but failed to get much opportunities in the XI which comprised AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and Virat Kohli.
Sarfaraz has made 50 appearances in IPL between 2015 and 2023, scoring 585 runs with a solitary fifty. He played for Punjab Kings between 2019 and 2021 before joining Delhi Capitals.
