While Shubman Gill-led India are currently playing against Afghanistan in an one-off Test match, which is being played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, out-of-favour batter Sarfaraz Khan grabbed eyeballs with a rapid knock of 62 runs off 21 balls in the Mumbai T20 League.
During his explosive knock, he equalled the record for the fastest half-century in the tournament, completing the feat in just 17 balls. Unfortunately, despite his heroic effort, Sarfaraz Khan's side failed to register a win over the Ajinkya Rahane-led team.
Sarfaraz Khan the opener
Batting first, Ajinkya Rahane's North Mumbai Panthers managed to post a solid total of 194/6 in the first innings. Skipper Rahane scored only 15 runs off 12 balls, While Ayush Vartak shined with a great knock of 83 runs off 41 balls.
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Vartak's innings was stacked with three fours and seven sixes, helping his side reach a challenging score on the board.
In response, Akash Tigers MWS shocked everyone shocked everyone by promoting Sarfaraz Khan to open the innings. Widely known as a middle-order batter, Sarfaraz Khan quickly made an impact with the bat, by playing shots all over the ground.
Half-century in just 17 balls
Sarfaraz Khan completed his half-century in just 17 balls, leveling the record for the fastest fifty in the competition. He went on to score 62 runs off 21 balls, with the help of eight fours and four sixes. Although, no other batter apart from Sarafarz managed to play with the same approach. As an outcome, Akash Tigers MWS ended up scoring 172/9 in 20 overs, losing the game by 22 runs.
Sarfaraz Khan's wait for Test return continues
Sarfaraz Khan last represented India in Test cricket in 2024 and has stayed out of the national team since then. During this time period, he has managed to score big runs in domestic cricket and also played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Despite his recent performances, the middle-order batter is yet to earn a comeback to the Test team. So far, Sarafaraz has managed to score 371 runs in six Test matches for India. On the other hand, he managed to score 5,114 from 62 first-class matches.