Sarfaraz Khan announced his return to red-ball cricket with a swashbuckling century in the Buchi Babu Tournament, signaling his readiness for the 2025/26 season.
Since debuting against England in early 2024, he has played six Tests for India, scoring 371 runs at an average of 37.10, including three fifties and a high score of 150.
The Indian selectors recently overlooked him for the Test team that toured England for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
In his last outing for India, the Mumbai Test against New Zealand, Sarfaraz managed just a duck and one run across two innings.
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Since his last Test in November 2024, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan have been favored by India in the tours of Australia and England.
As he looks to make a strong statement for a Test comeback, he has returned to show a glimpse of why he is one of the strong contenders for the number 6 spot with a stylish century on Day 1 of the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025.
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Sarfaraz Khan responds to Test snub with a century on domestic return:
The 27-year-old came in to bat at number 5 at 98/3 for Mumbai as they faced the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association XI at Gojan Cricket Ground B.
Batting with Suved Parkar initially, he stitched a 72(91) partnership before Parkar was dismissed. He went on to add another 129(128) with Aakash Parkar to take Mumbai to a respectable first innings total.
In his innings, Sarfaraz aggressively took down the TNCA bowlers, scoring 138 off just 114, with the help of 10 fours and 6 sixes, before he had to return to the pavilion, retired hurt.
Before going back to the hut, Sarfaraz helped Mumbai reach 318/5 from a precarious situation.
Up next, he is expected to play the Duleep Trophy for West Zone, alongside the likes of Shardul Thakur and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Notably, he also worked hard on his fitness during the off-season to stay fit for the domestic season alongside the West Indies and South Africa Test series at home.
After Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan's substandard returns in the recent series, it will be interesting to see whether Sarfaraz returns to the Indian squad for the home season.
Which TV channel will telecast the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 in India?
There will be no TV telecast for the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025.
How to watch the livestream of the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 online from India?
The online livestream of the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 will be available on the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) app and YouTube channel.
| Country | TV | Live stream |
|---|---|---|
| India | - | TNCA app/YouTube channel |