Despite being a regular fixture in India’s current Test setup, Sarfaraz Khan was surprisingly unsold at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Set his base price at just Rs 75 lakh; no IPL franchise bid for him. On the contrary, his younger brother, Musheer Khan, who also provides some left-arm off-spin options, attracted buyers in the form of Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Talking about Sarfaraz Khan, his non-selection was quite eye-raising, given the X-factor he brings. Yes, his T20 numbers have taken a backseat, but the talent Sarfaraz brings to the fore is second to none. However, one team that would’ve definitely benefitted from his services is the Gujarat Titans (GT).
GT: Sarfaraz Khan, an ideal replacement for Hardik Pandya?
The IPL 2022 winners lost their biggest star, Hardik Pandya, when he was traded to the Mumbai Indians (MI) for an all-cash deal. Since then, they have not found a permanent replacement for him in the middle-order. Yes, David Miller has been replaced with Glenn Phillips and Sherfane Rutherford, but both play in the lower-middle order. Pandya, despite being a finisher, filled the number four role with aplomb. Sarfaraz could’ve done the same.
Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2025 squad needs Sarfaraz
In the current setup, GT don’t have an out-and-out number four. Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, and Sai Sudharsan are expected to form the top order. But then comes a problem. They have stacked their batting with too many finishers. Philips, Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, and even Washington Sundar don’t get opportunities up the order. Yes, Mahipal Lomror is there, but adding him would mean too many left-handers for GT.
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Second wind for Sarfaraz’s T20 career still awaits
Hence, Sarfaraz Khan would’ve been a perfect fit at the franchise. His X-factor, previous experience, and now the confidence gained from an international stint would’ve definitely made him a great addition for GT, who scored the least runs (2,040) at IPL 2024 among all ten franchises. In fact, the gap between them and the ninth-placed LSG (2,483) was over 400 runs.
Apart from this, Sarfaraz Khan still has a second innings in him, as far as his T20 game is concerned. Although Sarfaraz Khan has had limited success in T20s recently, he is no stranger to the format. He made his IPL debut with RCB back in 2015 and has played 40 matches since then, earning 441 runs. His standout season came during his debut year, when he scored 111 runs at an incredible strike rate of 156.34. The potential is clear, and with continued improvement, Sarfaraz would’ve become an asset for any franchise.
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