Mumbai: This is turning out to be an indifferent season for Sarfaraz Khan. For a man who has scored 16 hundreds in first-class cricket and boasts of an average of 63.10 and a run tally of 4796 runs in 59 matches, the 28-year-old is yet to cross fifty so far in this Ranji Trophy season, having made severely underwhelming scores of 42, 32, 1, 15, 5 not out & 16 in four matches. Overall, Mumbai’s domestic run-machine has scored just 111 runs in four matches at the rate of 22.20 this season.In contrast, Sarfaraz’s teammate Siddhesh Lad, with 360 runs in four matches, at a 72.00 strike rate, including two hundreds (127 in this match) and a fifty, is the top run-getter for Mumbai so far. Sarfaraz’s younger brother Musheer Khan has made scores of 112, 49 & 63 in his three innings.
However, the batter doesn’t seem flustered by his rare average run in domestic cricket.“You can’t score runs in every match. I scored so many runs in the last four seasons. Sometimes, you go through a period when you lose your wicket despite playing well. Everyone in our team is scoring runs and taking wickets, doing well. The important thing is that we’ve to win the Ranji Trophy,” Sarfaraz told reporters at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday, a day before Mumbai take on Pondicherry at the venue in an Elite Group D clash. Is he frustrated due to lack of runs of late? “I’m not frustrated at all. If you see my record, I’ve scored a lot of runs. People enjoy a 1000-run season once in four years..in the last four-five years
maine daba ke
run
s banaye hain
(I’ve scored plenty of runs in the last four-five years.) It’s just that I haven’t scored too many runs in two-three matches. That doesn’t make a difference,” Sarfaraz said. Exuding confidence in his playing style, Sarfaraz said, “I don’t think that I need to change anything (in my batting), because I’m doing good. I’m just trying to do what I’ve always done-practice hard.”
‘Thakur a selfless captain’
Sarfarz was all praise for Mumbai’s captain this season, India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who he felt “keeps team before himself,” a quality the batter said marks the pacer out from the other Mumbai captains he has played under. “We’ve a very good captain. Shardul bhai is doing a great job. I’m very happy that Mumbai has got a captain like Shardul, who is selfless and keeps the team before himself. If he notices that a wicket isn’t helpful for the pacers, he wouldn’t insist on bowling himself, since he’s the captain, or he too has to look after his career. He doesn’t think like that at all. He prioritises the Mumbai team over his personal goals. I’ve been playing in the Ranji Trophy for the past 10-12 seasons now, and have played under a lot of captains, but I’ve noticed that difference in him: He prioritises Mumbai cricket over himself.” “At the back of your mind, you want to take more opportunities, do well and play at a higher level. However, Shardul doesn’t think like that. The Mumbai team comes first for him,” the batter complimented. Illustrating his point about Thakur, Sarfaraz said, “If you notice, he has batted as low as No 8 or No 9 this season. After bowling just two overs, he takes himself off the attack because he knows that it isn’t a wicket conducive for the fast bowlers. It shows that there’s just one thing in his mind: ‘How to win the Ranji Trophy.’ I’m enjoying playing under such a captain.” Opening up on the bonding in the Mumbai team, Sarfaraz said, “I wasn’t playing for Mumbai in the past two years as I was in the Indian team. Our team is very united. We train together. Even we play in Mumbai, we stay in a hotel together, rather than in our homes.” Sarfaraz seemed excited by the fact that Mumbai will playing at the Wankhede for the first time in 19 months-they last turned out at the Wankhede in the Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha in March 2024, which they won by 169 runs to clinch their 42nd title. Since the last two seasons, Mumbai have preferred to play on the turning track at the MCA ground in BKC. “We are playing at the Wankhede after a long time, so I’m feeling good. It’s a nice green top wicket, and we’ll be playing on such a pitch after a long time. Our team is playing very well. We have accumulated 17 points in four matches, and scored outright wins in two games (over Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal). We plan to continue this momentum,” Sarfaraz said. Two of Pondicherry’s players-their captain-cum-coach-cum mentor, veteran left-arm spinner Sagar Udeshi, who plays for Parsee Gymkhana in local cricket, and batter Aman Khan, are former Mumbai cricketers. “We’ve played a lot against each other and we know each other well. I’ve practiced against Udeshi at Azad maidan and at Fort Vijay,” Sarfaraz said.
Rahane to miss clash due to ‘back spasms’
Meanwhile, former captain Ajinkya Rahane will miss the clash against Pondicherry due to a back niggle, TOI has learnt. “Rahane is resting from this match as he is suffering from back spasms. In fact, his back was stiff during the previous match too,” a source revealed.
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Rahane is likely to be replaced at the No 3 spot by opener Akhil Herwadkar. Rahane has scored 209 runs in four matches at a 34.83 strike rate in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy so far, with 159 against Chhattisgarh being his highest score. The 31-year-old Herwadkar has scored 2483 runs in 41 first-class maches at the rate of 36.51, with seven hundreds and 10 fifties. The left-hander played for Chhattisgarh in the 2022-23 season, before moving back to Mumbai. With 17 points in four matches, Mumbai are topping the eight-team Group D. They thrashed Himachal by an innings & 120 runs in their last match at the MCA ground in BKC last week.
