Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan dedicated his double century in the Irani Cup against the Rest of India (ROI) to his younger brother Musheer, who missed the match due to a road accident at the end of last month. Musheer sustained a neck fracture in the accident and may be sidelined for three months.
The 2024 Irani Cup match between Mumbai and the Rest of India concluded in a draw on Saturday, October 5, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. However, Mumbai was declared the winner based on their first-innings lead, scoring 537 to ROI’s 416 in 110 overs.
Sarfaraz was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 222 off 286 balls, which included 25 fours and four sixes. While receiving the award, he dedicated his double century to Musheer, stating (as quoted by India Today):
“This trophy is the team’s, but I promised at home that I would make a hundred for Musheer. This one is for him.”
Musheer and his father, Naushad, were involved in a road accident on the outskirts of Lucknow on September 28. The young cricketer was en route to Lucknow for the Irani Cup from his hometown of Azamgarh.
Reports indicate that their car struck a divider and flipped over on the Purvanchal Expressway. Musheer sustained a neck fracture, while his father escaped with only minor injuries.
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Regarding his impressive innings, Sarfaraz mentioned that he focused on keeping things simple and adhering to the process. The 26-year-old stated:
“I try to follow the process and whatever I have done with my Abbu. If you travel all around India, you are used to how the wickets play. One has to work all around at their game, look at how the seniors are doing, and work on their weaknesses.”
Although he made a double century in the first innings, the right-handed batter was out for 17 in the second, trapped lbw by Saransh Jain.
It wasn’t only Sarfaraz Khan who performed well in the Irani Cup; other players also stood out
While Sarfaraz earned the Player of the Match award for his impressive double century, there were many other standout performances from players on both teams.
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Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane scored 97 in the first innings, while all-rounder Tanush Kotian contributed a century and a fifty, along with taking three wickets. Opener Prithvi Shaw added a quick 76 in the second innings.
For the Rest of India, Abhimanyu Easwaran made 191, and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel scored 93. On the bowling side, Saransh Jain took 6 wickets for 121 runs in the second innings.
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