The friendship between Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan has silently grown over the years in the Indian cricket setup. Their equation, mostly based on mutual trust, ease, and shared time away from the spotlight, has often been noticed by those around the team. Even when they weren't playing together that regularly, the bond between the two was intact.

That connection came to the fore once more through a recent gesture by Gill. The Indian ODI and Test captain gifted Sarfaraz a luxury item in showing his support for the teammate. The moment reflected how players stand by each other beyond matches and results.

Sarfaraz shared this moment with his followers on social media, giving a rare peek into the personal side of their relationship. The post drew attention in no time and gave the strong bond that the two cricketers share off the field.

Sarfaraz Thanks Gill After Receiving G-Shock Watch

Sarfaraz Khan revealed that Shubman Gill gifted him a premium G-Shock watch. On Tuesday, January 13, the Mumbai Indian batter posted a photo of the watch on his Instagram account. In the caption, Sarfaraz thanked the Indian captain and wrote, “Thank you Shubman Gill clean watch @gshock_in,” expressing his happiness over the thoughtful gift.

NICE GESTURE BY CAPTAIN SHUBMAN GILL 👏

- Gill gifted a watch to Sarfaraz Khan. pic.twitter.com/MthbCsosLU

— VM Strike🏏 (@mittal_van39335) January 13, 2026

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On the cricketing side, Sarfaraz has faced setbacks recently. He was dropped from India’s home Test series against the West Indies and South Africa last year and was also left out of the Test squad for the England tour, even though he was part of the India A team.

Since his Test match debut in February 2024, Sarfaraz has played six matches, with his last game played in November 2024 against the New Zealand team at home. Although he failed to get picked for the national team, he continues to score heavily as part of the Mumbai domestic side and is in the fray for his comeback to Team India.

A major blow for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai cricket team, as their key batter received a fresh injury ahead of an important match. The batter, who is in tremendous form for his whirlwind batting, injured his finger during a net session.

According to media reports on Monday, Sarfaraz Khan picked up an injury in his finger while doing batting practice in nets for the Mumbai cricket team ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT 2025-26) quarterfinal against Karnataka at the Centre of Excellence in North Bengaluru. Along with Khan, Tushar Deshpande was also ruled out from the match because of injury concerns.

According to a TOI media report, "Sarfaraz, who had smashed a record 15-ball fifty against Punjab in the last league match of the stage—the fastest by an Indian in List A cricket—injured his finger after being struck by a ball from Sairaj Patil while batting in the nets."

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CSK batter Sarfaraz Khan injured his finger ahead of crucial matches

Just a match before, the middle-order batter smashed a record 15-ball half-century against Punjab, which is currently the fastest half-century in List-A cricket across the globe. Sarfaraz has been Mumbai’s top scorer in this tournament, scoring 303 runs in six matches at an average of 75.75 and a strike rate of 190.56. His highest score was 155 off 75 balls against Goa.

Before these explosive knocks, Sarfaraz Khan was bought by CSK for his base price of INR 75 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction.

Mumbai vs Karnataka VHT 2025-26 Playing XIs:

Karnataka: Mayank Agarwal (C), Devdutt Paddikal, Karun Nair, Smaran Ravichandran, Krishnan Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, Vijay Kumar Vyshak, Vijaydhar Patil, Abhilash Shetty, Vidhwath Kaverappa.

Mumbai: Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Musheer Khan, Siddhesh Lad, Hardik Tamore, Shams Mulani, Sairaj Patil, Suryansh Shedge, Tanush Kotian, Ishan Mulchandani, Mohit Awasthi, Onkar Tamale.

Continuing the scorching form, Sarfaraz Khan smashed another half-century into his domestic career tally on January 8 against Punjab at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur. The Mumbai batter registered 62 runs off just 20 deliveries in the game. Out of those 62 runs, he claimed 30 runs from a single over where Abhishek Sharma was the bowler.

Abhishek Sharma, who is currently one of the openers of Team India's T20I playing combination, was up against in-form Sarfaraz Khan as a bowler. The batter welcomed the part-time bowler with open arms. 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 4 – this was the series Sarfaraz got against Sharma in that over. With a strike rate over 300.00, Sarfaraz registered the fastest List-A half-century in this Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT 2025-26) match.

He smashed a total of 7 boundaries and 5 sixes on his way to the fastest-ever List A half-century by an Indian batter. Despite Khan's stormy innings, Mumbai fell short against Punjab by only 1 run. Batting first, Punjab got 216 runs in the 50-overs match.

Read More: 3 reasons why Sarfaraz Khan should be considered in place of Tilak Varma

Watch Sarfaraz Khan hit 30 runs vs Abhishek Sharma in this video

Sarfraz Khan 30 runs off Abhishek Sharma Over

Look at the poor condition of the ground. BCCI is conducting national level tournament like VHT on such pathetic grounds pic.twitter.com/9U0OTmED6K

— 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗨 (@Brutu24) January 9, 2026

The total might look paltry against a star-studded Mumbai batting line-up, but in reality, it was the bowlers who controlled the match in the second innings as well. Apart from Khan's 62 and Shreyas Iyer's 45, the batting line-up of Mumbai experienced a hard time against Punjab. Against 216 runs of Punjab, Mumbai's innings was restricted to 215 runs. Gurnoor Brar and Mayank Markande claimed 4 wickets each for Punjab.

Sarfaraz Khan’s scores in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26:

• Against Punjab – 62 runs off 20 balls
• Against Himachal Pradesh – 21 runs off 10 balls
• Against Goa – 157 runs off 75 balls
• Against Chattisgarh – Did not bat
• Against Uttarakhand – 55 runs off 49 balls
• Against Sikkim – 8 runs off 5 balls

Tilak Varma is uncertain for the India vs New Zealand T20I series, as he underwent surgery. It is not clear whether he can regain match fitness before or during the contest. In this scenario, cricket fans are speculating about who can be a proper replacement if Varma misses the bilateral T20I series.

Sarfaraz Khan is someone who has changed himself a lot during the last few months. He lost a significant amount of weight and developed his batting skills as well. The batter, once known only as a Test format player, is now toying with bowlers in the limited-format games. Without any doubts, Khan deserves a spot in Team India.

3 reasons why Sarfaraz Khan should be considered in place of Tilak Varma:

1. Dominating batting in recent times: The Mumbai-born is among the top batters who have been playing with consistency in domestic cricket. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT 2025-26), Khan's swashbuckling batting became one of the main talking points among cricket fans. On January 8, he registered the fastest List-A half-century by an Indian batter. Before that, for Mumbai, he smashed a 157-run innings off 75 deliveries. Apart from these two knocks, the batter bagged multiple half-centuries and match-winning performances.

Read More: 3 reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should be considered in place of Tilak Varma

2. Proven middle-order batter: If the selectors want a middle-order batter in place of another middle-order batter, then Khan deserves to be in the contention. He proved himself in the longer format of the game and is now scoring all the runs with a quick pace coming as a middle-order batsman. With proper batting techniques, the 28-year-old has developed himself into a Twenty20 player as well.

3. Situational awareness: Unlike Tilak Varma, who is more of a modern, momentum-based batter, Sarfaraz brings a traditional-yet-adaptable approach—he can grind when needed and accelerate sharply once set. These skill sets of Khan make him one of the most dominating forces in Indian cricket.

The 28-year-old Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan set a new List A record by an Indian during the Mumbai vs Punjab match in the Elite Group C of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 on Thursday night (January 8). 

Shreyas Iyer-led Mumbai chose to field first after winning the toss in the match in Jaipur. While Punjab were all out for only 216 runs in 45.1 overs, Mumbai were bowled out for only 215 runs in 26.2 overs, as Punjab won the match by one run to end Group C as the points table leader (24 points), while Mumbai finished in the second position (20 points). 

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Sarfaraz Khan records fastest List A fifty by an Indian 

Coming to bat at no.3, Sarfaraz Khan slammed a 15-ball fifty with six fours and four sixes, as his batting made the chase very comfortable for Mumbai. It was the fastest fifty by an Indian in List A cricket history. The previous record was a 16-ball fifty by Abhijit Kale from Maharashtra (vs Baroda in 1995) and Atit Sheth from Baroda (vs Chhattisgarh in 2021). 

Sarfaraz scored 62 runs off just 20 balls with seven fours and five sixes, while captain Shreyas Iyer scored 45 runs off 34 balls with four fours and two sixes.   

Mumbai were once batting at 212/6, with just five runs away from the victory. However, they lost their last four wickets only for three runs, and Punjab stunned with a one-run victory. 

Gurnoor Brar won Player of the Match award

The 25-year-old Punjab right-arm fast bowler Gurnoor Brar won the Player of the Match award for his four wickets, as he had the bowling figures of 10-1-57-4. Also, the leg-spinner Mayank Markande got four wickets with the bowling figures of 5.2-0-31-4, including taking the last two wickets along with set batters Sarfaraz Khan and skipper Shreyas Iyer.

In the Punjab innings, Anmolpreet Singh (57) and Ramandeep Singh (72) scored crucial half-centuries to help the team to score 200+ total. Among the Mumbai bowlers, Musheer Khan got three wickets (9.1-0-37-3). 

Mumbai, in their fourth match of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT 2025-26), piled up runs against Goa (Mumbai vs Goa) at the Jaipuriya Vidhyalaya Ground in Jaipur, thanks to a blistering knock from Sarfaraz Khan, who registered 157 off 75 in the first innings. 

Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, Khan, who was known for his technical batting skills, which were suitable for multi-day format matches, has changed his batting style massively. Instead of batting with a low strike rate, the batter has been performing with a typical T20-style approach for the last few weeks. Along with losing a significant amount of weight, the Mumbai-born has developed his batting approach as well.

Mumbai went to play against Goa after winning back-to-back three matches in their first three VHT 2025-26 games. On paper, the star-studded lineup of Mumbai is looking much stronger than their opposition for today's match. Without the service of Rohit Sharma, who played the first two matches for the team, Mumbai claimed a massive total of 444 runs in 50 overs, losing only 8 wickets. 

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Sarfaraz Khan got stormy century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai 

Khan has been in fine form since the beginning of the tournament. He bagged a half-century against Uttarakhand on December 26. During a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 match against Assam on December 2, Sarfaraz remained unbeaten after scoring 100 in just 47 balls and claimed the Man of the Match award. 

Today, against Goa, he showcased his stunning hitting skills by smashing as many as 14 sixes and nine 4s. He scored runs at a brilliant strike rate of 209.33 to help Mumbai post the gigantic total. Sarfaraz came out to bat at number four after Mumbai lost Yashasvi Jaiswal for 46 runs in the 21st over of the innings. The right-handed batter took only 56 balls to complete the century. With his brother Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz stitched a 93-run stand in just 10 overs. 

Sarfaraz Khan didn’t have a great campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with just 585 runs in 37 innings at an average of 22.50 and a strike rate of 130.58, with the help of one half-century at the best score of 67. His best season with the bat was back in 2019 with the Punjab Kings 2019 when he smacked 180 runs at a strike rate of 126.87 with one fifty.

Sarfaraz Khan, however, has updated himself from his last season in 2023 when he cracked only 53 runs in four innings at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 85.48 for the Delhi Capitals. When his name came into the IPL 2026 auction, many wondered if most teams would show their interest in the player. But there wasn’t.

See Also: Check list of unsold players from Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction

However, in the accelerated mode, Sarfaraz finally got his signing from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a base price of INR 75 lakh. It’s a new don for the right-handed batter, who wrote “thank you so much, CSK for giving me new life” on his Instagram story, which went viral.

Sarfaraz Khan reacts to getting signed by CSK in IPL 2026

Sarfaraz, the Mumbai batter, has smashed a total of 1517 runs in 81 innings of T20 cricket. He has an average of 26.15 and a strike rate of nearly 140 with the help of six half-centuries and one century at the best score of 100 runs. Even in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26, he has been in superb touch.

Sarfaraz Khan is thankful to CSK for giving him a new life. 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/jKlTBbbqZw

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 17, 2025

Sarfaraz has managed overall 329 runs in seven innings for Mumbai in the domestic T20 event at an average of 65.80 and a strike rate of 203.08 with the help of three half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 100 runs. Even in his previous contest against Rajasthan, he cracked 73 runs in just 22 balls with the help of six boundaries and seven sixes.

The 28-year-old could, however, remain a backup option for the CSK franchise in the IPL 2026. But if he can impress the management with his skill sets in the practice session, then it can surely be a different story.

A unique celebration after an electrifying half-century by Sarfaraz Khan. The Mumbai batter was in full flow on Tuesday during a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 (SMAT 2026) match against Rajasthan. The batter, who is mostly known for batting in long formats, is now showing his hitting skills in SMAT 2025 for Mumbai.

In the Mumbai vs Rajasthan Super League phase match of the tournament, Khan slammed a brilliant 73 off 22. During his match-winning knock, the right-handed batter smashed six boundaries and seven over-boundaries. Crowd at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. After completing the half-century, Khan celebrated the occasion through a special celebration. He did some push-ups to mark his aggressive batting, which is ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

In the match, Rajasthan went to bat first and registered 216 runs in 20 overs against four wickets. Mumbai claimed the total because of Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan, as both batters scored runs fluently against the Rajasthan bowling attack.

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Watch Sarfaraz Khan's unique push-up celebration in SMAT 2025

THE PUSH-UP CELEBRATION BY SARFARAZ KHAN. 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/XbiE0GnXz8

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 16, 2025

Earlier this month, the right-hander registered his maiden T20 century, remaining unbeaten on 100 from 47 balls, an innings studded with eight fours and seven sixes, as Mumbai crushed Assam by 98 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

Despite the brilliant performances in the T20 tournament for Mumbai, Sarfaraz Khan went unsold in the IPL 2026 auction. With a base price of 75 lakh, Khan remained unsold. In the previous season too, no franchise bid for the batter. As he has changed his batting style a little bit and is scoring runs while maintaining a good strike rate, Indian cricket fans were expecting to see some bids for him in the auction as well. But the possibilities proved wrong when no one put on the paddle for Sarfaraz Khan. 

Time is really important in grabbing an opportunity, and Sarfaraz Khan used it to the best by smashing a 15-ball half-century for Mumbai during the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26 against Rajasthan. His fiery knock just an hour ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, which is set to begin in Abu Dhabi on December 16.

There is no doubt now of the right-handed batter getting a check from the bidding war. Sarfaraz Khan has been in superb touch during the entire T20 event in India’s domestic cricket. Earlier in the game at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, Mumbai was belted for 216/4 in 20 overs.

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The opening batter of Rajasthan, Ramnivas Golada, crunched 48 runs in 29 balls at a strike rate of 165.42 with the help of three boundaries and three sixes, while their number three batter, Deepak Hooda, creamed 51 runs in 31 balls at a strike rate of 164.52, smashing four boundaries and three sixes.

Sarfaraz Khan smashed 15-ball 50 before IPL 2026 auction

Mahipal Lomror also clubbed a fine knock of 39 runs in 24 balls at a strike rate of 162.5 with the help of four boundaries, while Mukul Choudhury pocketed a cracking unbeaten knock of 54 runs in 28 balls at a strike rate of over 190, thanks to three sixes and four boundaries to post 216/4 in their allotted 20 overs by the Rajasthan side.

Watch the video here: 

Sarfaraz Khan scored Fastest Fifty before the #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/W5Gs5GmXyV

— Pankaj Agrawal (@iampankaj_007) December 16, 2025

In reply, Mumbai lost Yashasvi Jaiswal cheaply for 15 runs in 16 balls before Ajinkya Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan celebrated a cracking stand of 111 runs in just 38 balls for the second wicket. The former creamed 58 runs in 30 balls at a strike rate of 193.33 while Sarfaraz was dismissed for 73 runs in 22 balls at a strike rate of 331 with six fours and seven sixes.

The likes of Chennai Super Kings or the Kolkata Knight Riders can keep an eye on the right-handed batter to fix their issues in the middle order. He has also been a fabulous player of spin, which enhances his skill for that role.

Mumbai lost their opening clash of the Super League stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26 and were in need of earning a win over the Haryana side in the second contest. But when they were set a target of 235 runs at the DY Patil Academy in Ambi, Pune, the task was expected to be a stiff one.

But two long-time friends of the Mumbai cricket team, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, posted a fine 88-run stand for the second wicket in just 37 balls to give them a great platform for the successful chase. They met each other at the end of the game.

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“I have got today’s player of the match- Yashasvi Jaiswal. How is the feeling? You just got a century in the recent ODI (against South Africa), and now for Mumbai, there is another century.” Sarfaraz said to Jaiswal, who expressed, “Very happy that I have been able to do that. I wanted to win it for Mumbai and vowed that whenever I return, I would try to keep going with the same intensity to finish the game.”

Sarfaraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal give special interview on Mumbai’s record chase

Jaiswal celebrated 101 runs in 50 balls with the help of 16 boundaries and one six, while Sarfaraz nailed 64 runs in just 25 balls at a strike rate of 256, smashing nine boundaries and three sixes. Mumbai completed the chase in 17.3 overs by four wickets.

Watch the video here: 

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐍𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐱 🫶

Reminiscing Azad Maidan memories 🏟️✨

Sharing Player of the Match honours 🏆

The pure joy of batting together 😍

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan relive Mumbai's highest run chase in #SMAT 🔥 - By @Jigsactin… pic.twitter.com/SQY6oLIMcf

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 15, 2025

“The way you also batted with me was exceptional, and I really enjoyed how we were able to get the job done. We really enjoyed each other’s company. We talk a lot and have fun in the middle. So, that’s really exciting.” Jaiswal added while Sarfaraz replied, “I know him from such a young age. Whenever he returns from playing for India, I realize he changes, and that’s what I try to learn.”

“Our bonding has been amazing. We discuss a lot about how we used to go through the hard work and practice in the Azad Maidan. When he bats, we all remain in awe of his batting.” Sarfaraz noted before Jaiswal concluded, “We also take the calculative risk and try to win the contest for Mumbai or even when we used to play against England.”