'He is not just knocking on the door, he is breaking it down'
As Sarfaraz Khan continues his incredible form in domestic cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin backed him to be a regular fixture in the Chennai Super Kings' batting line-up in the upcoming IPL season.
On Wednesday, Sarfaraz underscored his credentials as a genuine match-winner in white-ball cricket with a blistering 75-ball 157 for Mumbai against Goa in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He smoked 14 sixes and cleared the boundary ropes nine times, showcasing brute force and flair in equal measure, and reached his century in just 56 balls.
Sarfaraz was in excellent touch in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 championship as well, tallying 329 runs in seven matches with a strike-rate of 203.08 and an average of 65.80.
Taking to his 'X' handle, Ashwin wrote: "100* (47), 52 (40), 64 (25), 73 (22) in the SMAT. That form has transitioned seamlessly into the Hazare with scores of 55 (49) followed by a blistering 157 (75) today with 14 sixes. It's particularly impressive how he murders spin in the middle overs with his sweeps and slog sweeps.
'Avan kadhava thattala, idichi odachitu irukaan (He is not just knocking on the door, he is breaking it down)'. CSK should look at riding his purple patch by slotting him into the Playing XI. A genuine problem of plenty with the bat for the Men in Yellow this season! Can't wait for IPL 2026."
Following his exploits in the SMAT, five-time champions CSK acquired the 28-year-old right-hander for Rs 75 lakh (Rs 7.5 million) at the 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.
After going unsold in the first round, Sarfaraz was eventually bought by CSK for his base price in the accelerated bidding round.
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