Sarfaraz Khan hammers 15-ball half-century on IPL 2026 auction day
What's the story
Just ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan showcased his batting prowess by scoring a quickfire 73 off just 22 balls against Rajasthan. Sarfaraz's blazing knock helped Mumbai chase down 217 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League Group B in Pune. The Mumbai batter reached his half-century in just 15 balls, underlining his explosive hitting ability.
Auction anticipation
Sarfaraz slams blazing 73
Mumbai's top order came out all guns blazing, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ajinkya Rahane sharing a 41-run stand in just four overs. Sarfaraz joined Jaiswal after Rahane's departure, as the duo added 111 runs off only 38 balls. The former raced to a 15-ball half-century, Although Sarfaraz was dismissed after Mumbai crossed 150 in under 11 overs, Rahane's 72* ensured them a comfortable win. Sarfaraz hammered 6 fours and 7 sixes.
Auction specifics
Sarfaraz's sublime form
Sarfaraz is part of the first set (capped batters) at the upcoming IPL mini-auction, having set a base price of ₹75 lakh. This puts him in line to be picked by one of the franchises looking for an explosive batsman. Notably, Sarfaraz has hammered 329 runs from seven games at an incredible strike rate of 203.08 in the ongoing SMAT.
Stats
A look at his T20 stats
According to ESPNcricinfo, Sarfaraz hammered his sixth half-century in T20 cricket. His maiden ton in the format came against Assam in the ongoing tournament. In 103 matches (81 innings), the Mumbai batter has raced past 1,500 runs at a strike rate of 135-plus. His average goes past 25. Notably, 585 of his runs have come in 50 IPL matches at 22.50.