Sarfaraz Khan’s Blistering 157 Powers Mumbai to 4th Straight Vijay Hazare Win

Sarfaraz Khan has been performing exceptionally well in domestic cricket for a long time, yet he has been unable to secure a comeback in the Indian team. He once again caught the attention of the selectors with a brilliant innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Against Goa on Wednesday, Sarfaraz played a blistering innings of 157 runs off just 75 balls at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur, leading Mumbai to an 87-run victory. This was Mumbai's fourth consecutive win, keeping them at the top of the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group C table and ending Goa's three-match winning streak.

All eyes were on Yashasvi Jaiswal throughout the match, but Sarfaraz Khan stole the show. His explosive hitting helped Mumbai post a mammoth 444/8, a total that sealed the match by the end of the first innings. Goa put up a strong fight and crossed the 350-run mark, but despite Abhinav Tejrana's 100, the target was always a long way off.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had just recovered from a bout of gastroenteritis, scored 46 but was dismissed while trying to score quickly. Sarfaraz's younger brother, Mushir Khan, then steadied the innings with a brilliant 60, keeping the scoreboard ticking and setting the stage for a big total. Then, Sarfaraz took charge and turned the game into a highlights-reel affair. Batting at number 4, he smashed 9 fours and 14 sixes, reaching his century in just 56 balls.

Speaking to TOI after his blistering innings, Sarfaraz Khan said, "When I came to the crease, the run rate wasn't too high. However, both openers had weathered the first difficult hour. It's always difficult in the morning when the ball moves a bit. I set myself up first, and then as the pitch eased, I attacked. The plan was to score as many runs as possible and set a strong target."

He also explained how the platform helped him explode. Sarfaraz said, "When I came in, Musheer was playing very well. He was the first player to score fifty. I've played a lot of ODIs and I know how to build an innings. I have a good sweep and cut shot, and in this format, you can't keep more than five fielders out. This gives me the freedom to play my shots."

Despite his brilliant innings, Sarfaraz admitted that he has one regret. He said, "We have one dream: to score a century in the same match." We came close to it in the Ranji Trophy this season and last week as well, but we both got out for fifty. Musheer was batting really well, and I thought we could do it. But dreams don't come true so easily.