Out-of-favour India cricket team batter Sarfaraz Khan slammed his fastest T20 fifty in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 Super League tie against Haryana on Sunday. His fiery knock comes just two days before the IPL 2026 auction where he is among the 350 players who will go under the hammer on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Despite having good numbers in domestic red-ball cricket and average numbers in white-ball formats, Sarfaraz went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction last year.
Sarfaraz slams fiery fifty before IPL 2026 auction
Batting at number three, Sarfaraz finished with 64 runs to his name from just 25 deliveries at a strike rate of 256. He struck nine fours and three sixes during his blazing knock, serving a timely reminder to all the IPL teams ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Mumbai eventually completed the 235 run-chase in 17.3 overs with four wickets to spare. This also happened to be the second highest run-chase in SMAT history. Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) was named the Player of the Match for his maiden hundred in SMAT.
Sarfaraz has been in red-hot form in the ongoing SMAT 2025. So far, in 6 matches, he has registered knocks of 100*, 52, 7*, 28, 5 and 64.
The Mumbai batter has played in the IPL, as recent as 2023. He has an experience of 50 matches under his belt, where he scored 585 runs at an average of 22 and a strike rate of 130. Ever since breaking into the Indian setup, he is somehow looked at as a one format player. Sarfaraz has registered himself for the IPL 2026 auction at a base price of Rs 75 lakh.
IPL 2026: 350 players auction list breakdown
- Capped Indians – 16
- Capped Overseas – 98
- Uncapped Indian – 230
- Uncapped overseas – 14
- Associate – 1
