CSK legend Suresh Raina wants MS Dhoni to rope in in-form Sarfaraz Khan, shells out Rs 7 crore in mock auction

“The form Sarfaraz is in, even if he plays four or six matches and wins you two games, that 7 crore will be fully justified. Chennai’s wicket is technically sound, and if he gets set in a system like CSK, where the focus is on winning games, I think CSK will benefit greatly from his form," he added.

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Sarfaraz’s run in SMAT 2025

In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025, Sarfaraz has been in fine form. From six games, he has amassed 260 runs at an average of 64 and strike rate of 182.85. He scored his maiden T20 century against Assam and an 18-ball fifty in the run chase against Haryana. He shared a game-changing partnership in the run chase of 235 alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal who scored a century as well.

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Unsold in two consecutive seasons

Sarfraz has went unsold in previous two auctions. The last time he played in the IPL was in 2023 for Delhi Capitals (DC). In two seasons, he got 10 chances at DC but did not make the most of it. Before that, he was a part of Punjab Kings (PBKS) for three seasons. He has represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for three seasons as well. A stalwart in domestic cricket, he has just one IPL half-century to his name from 37 innings. His strike rate in IPL is 130.58.

However, of late, the 28-year-old seems to have reworked on unorthodox shots that him famous as a youngster in the IPL. He was seen playing scoop, reverse lap shots in the recent SMAT encounters.