When the media burst out, trolling India's pride after registering their lowest first-inning score, Sarfaraz Khan stepped in with purpose. A three-ball duck in the first inning was compensated by his maiden hundred in the second. It was an innings that not only marked Khan's power but gave India a balanced position, aiding bowlers to give a fight in the last inning. 

The moment of triumph came in the 57th over when he sliced Tim Southee's delivery past the boundary line. The crowd waited for that scene—a joyous Sarfaraz running over the field with his helmet off his head and his bat held high with pride. It seemed like an acknowledgment of the years of hard work and patience, and the crowd probably looked at it as their own personal achievement. 

Sarfaraz Khan left the field scoring a glamorous 150 runs, leaving imprints of his footmark on the circuit of Indian Cricket- as a face for grit, determination, and relentless spirit

The Struggles of Domestic Cricket

Sarfaraz's road to international cricket was nothing fairy. The domestic cricket circuit got used to the duel between a well-exposed talent and the "don't want to see" selectors. Sarfaraz, a blossoming talent, has a first-class average hovering above 70.

After initially playing for Mumbai, Sarfaraz switched allegiances to Uttar Pradesh, hoping for a fast movement towards the international senior team. However, it didn’t bring the results he expected.

Injuries and fitness concerns slowed down his progress. But despite these setbacks, Sarfaraz never lost faith in his abilities. Over the next four domestic seasons, he crafted several memorable innings, including a match-winning double-century in the prestigious Irani Trophy. His performances in the Ranji Trophy were monumental, earning him the highest praise, but his phone remained silent when it came to national selection.

Sarfaraz Khan has featured in over 40 matches in first-class cricket and has scored over 3,600 runs. He has 14 centuries to his name with a best score of 301 not out. 

Childhood Dreams on Mumbai's Dusty Fields

The dusty fields of Mumbai have once nurtured Sarfaraz's love for cricket as it did for present-day legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rohit Sharma. Growing up in the humble neighborhood of Kurla, Sarfaraz's father, Naushad Khan, is a coach by profession. But definitely the first coach to his two sons—guiding them to become cricketers.

Sarfaraz first came to the limelight in 2009 when, as a 12-year-old, he broke the record in the Harris Shield tournament by scoring a breathtaking 439 runs. With that, the expectations of him increased. People started comparing him with "God" Tendulkar, who had famously scored 346 in the same tournament.

When expectations feel like burdens, Sarfaraz managed to shine under them as he continued playing for his school team, Rizvi Springfield, and dominated the Under-16 circuit. However, he knew that playing on Mumbai's famous maidans was just the start.

The Mumbai Maidans are cursed with uneven pitches and overlapping games. Sarfaraz, however, pushed his skills. He played against his seniors, accumulating skills and experience.

He knew the legacy he was carrying — the greats who had walked those same grounds. Every run, every century, felt like a step closer to fulfilling a dream, not just his but his father’s as well.

"Abbu's" Dream

Sarfaraz's father, Naushad Khan himself, was a left-handed middle-order batsman and a slow left-hand orthodox spin bowler for the Mumbai domestic team. Even though he is quite popular for his coaching abilities, he failed to gain the heights in cricket.

After his retirement, senior Khan coached many youngsters at Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Iqbal Abdulla, the "Rising Star" from Kolkata Knight Riders' 2011 session, was a product of Khan's coaching.

Former IPL player Kamran Khan, who bowled the first-ever Super Over in the tournament’s history alongside Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis, was also trained by Naushad Khan in his cricketing infancy.

Anyway, the coach, who is a father too, had his focus strictly on both his sons, Sarfaraz and Musheer. There are sayings like, that those who fail to fulfill their own dreams, give their best to fulfill others'. Naushad chose his two sons to fulfill his unfulfilled dreams.

Naushad dedicated his life to training his sons — Sarfaraz and his brother, Musheer Khan — on Mumbai’s maidans, often spending long hours watching over them. He made countless sacrifices, from managing a tight family budget to pushing his sons through grueling training sessions, always with the hope that they would make it to the top.

Musheer, like his elder brother, is enjoying a great run in the domestics and junior circuit. While being ignored for a long time, Sarfaraz debuted in the team earlier this year, at Rajkot.

Sarfaraz often speaks about how it was his father’s dream first, a dream that didn't come true for Naushad. "It was Abbu’s [my father’s] dream first to play for India,” Sarfaraz said on the day he debuted.

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Things weren’t [financially] that strong at home. Then he thought he would focus on his children, and he worked hard on me... This was the proudest moment of my life.”

Debut and Impact in Test Cricket

In 2024, the wait ended. Sarfaraz Khan got his first call in the test team as a replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. However, it was not until the third match at Rajkot on February 15 that he got his cap from the legendary Anil Kumble.

In his debut inning, his innings fell short to 62 runs off 66 balls as he got run out on the non-striker's end after a mix-up with eventual centurion Ravindra Jadeja. 

When Sarfaraz finally donned the Indian Test cap and jersey, it was the culmination of a decade-long wait. The photo of his father kissing the cap with pride had brought tears to the eyes of many. It was a gift of wait, a wait worthy of anything. 

In the second inning, he remained unbeaten on 68, another inning marking his presence when the team needed assistance. A partnership between him and another debutant, Dhruv Jurel, guarded India to the required win. 

Ignored, But not Erased

Sarfaraz’s journey to the Indian team had been marred by years of being overlooked. Despite dominating domestic cricket for several seasons, he watched as other younger players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal leapfrogged him to the national stage. He was left in the shadows, waiting for his chance. But the lack of recognition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) never dimmed his resolve. Every time he was ignored, he returned to domestic cricket with even more determination.

His century in Bengaluru was not just an innings; it was a message — one of resilience, perseverance, and grit. Sarfaraz Khan had finally arrived, not just as a cricketer but as a symbol of endurance in the face of adversity. And as the cheers rang out in Bengaluru, one thing was clear: Sarfaraz Khan’s story was far from over.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the captain of the India A team for the tour of England as the BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour starting from 30th May 2025. 

India A will play two first-class matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton. Then they will play a practice match against the senior Indian team to prepare them for the big series against England. 

Karun Nair was rewarded for his excellent domestic form as he made a return to the India A side. His performance for the A side might decide whether he will be given a chance for the senior team or not.

Abishek Porel, who was named in the last India A's tour to Australia, has been replaced by Ishan Kishan in the side.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who will be busy in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans, will join the squad from the second match. 

India A squad for the England tour

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

India A' schedule for the England tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Central Contract for the 2025-26 season on Monday, 21st April 2025. 7 new players were added to the contract, while players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to the list after missing out last time.

Last year, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were left out of the BCCI central contract after opting out of the domestic games for their respective state teams. BCCI's focus on domestic cricket left them out of the central contract despite being part of the Indian team set up a few months ago.

But, this time, both the Indian batters were added to the contract after Iyer won everything in the domestic cricket last season, along with lifting the IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders. Ishan Kishan also played through the entire domestic season and has been rewarded with the contract too. 

Read Also | "Mere Sath Kyun?.:" Ishan Kishan breaks silence on Team India exit and Central Contract termination

Talking points from the BCCI Central Contract 2025

Rohit and Kohli stay in Grade A+ 

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remained in the Grade A+ category despite retiring from the T20I format. Rohit and Virat had announced their retirement from the shortest format of the game after lifting the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. 

Ravindra Jadeja is another name who has been listed in the A+ category despite retiring from the T20Is after the World Cup victory.

Bumrah is the only all-format player in A+

With Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja retiring from the shortest format of the game, Jasprit Bumrah remains the only all-format player to be in the A+ category of the BCC Central Contract 2025.

Pant is promoted to the Grade A category

Rishabh Pant received a promotion to the A category after being in the B category last year. Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami are the other names in the A category, who were already there in last year's contract. 

Ravi Ashwin has been left out of the contract since he retired from international cricket.

Iyer listed in grade B; Kishan in grade C

Shreyas Iyer, who was left out of the contract last year, has been included in the Grade B, while Ishan Kishan has been listed in the Grade C. 

Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the other names in Grade B, who were there last time as well. 

New 7 names in Grade C

7 new players have been added to the BCCI Central Contract 2025. All of these players found themselves in Grade C. 

Dhruv Jurel, Sarafraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Akash Deep are the players who received the contract for their performances in the last season. 

Not to be confused, Akash Deep earlier had a fast bowling contract and this year received the central contract after doing well in the Test format. 

Shardul Thakur, Jitesh Sharma, KS Bharath, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have been left out of the contract this year.

Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa were all part of the fast bowling contract last season. 

BCCI Central Contract 2025

BCCI announces annual player retainership 2024-25 - Team India (Senior Men) 💙🤝#Bcci #IndianCricket #Viratkohli #RohitSharma #jaspritbumrah #Shreyasiyer #KlRahul #HardikPandya #Ipl2025 pic.twitter.com/LSmlg06QOS

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 21, 2025

Vaibhav Suryavanshi just broke the record for being the youngest ever IPL debutant at the age of 14 years and 23 days. The young left-handed batter created the record when he came as an impact player for the Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. With this, he became the 10th player to make an IPL debut before turning 18. 

Who was the first player to make an IPL debut before turning 18?

Pradeep Sangwan, at the age of 17 years, 179 days, became the first ever player in IPL to make a debut before turning 18. The left-arm pacer was fresh from the U-19 World Cup victory under Virat Kohli.

Sangwan made his IPL debut for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the inaugural season in 2008. 

Who is the youngest player ever in IPL history?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is now the youngest player ever in IPL history. He made his debut for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants at the age of 14 years and 23 days old. He broke the record of Prayas Ray Barman, who held the record for becoming the youngest IPL debutant for a long time.

Read Also | Exclusive | "He has the intent to play at the highest level," Bihar head coach on Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Players to make IPL debut before turning 18

Till now, 10 players have made their IPL debut before turning 18. Here are all the teenage sensations who made their IPL debut even before earning their voter card. Interestingly, all the players on this list are Indian.

1. Pradeep Sangwan (17 years, 179 days, DD (now DC), 2008)

The left-arm pacer from Delhi was the first player ever in Indian Premier League history to make his debut before turning 18. After a sensational ICC Men's U-19 World Cup 2008, Delhi Daredevils gave him a contract. Sangwan made his debut at the age of 17 years, 179 days and has played 42 IPL games since then, taking only 38 wickets. 

Read Also | IPL records: 5 youngest centurion in IPL

2. Sarfaraz Khan (17 years, 177 days, RCB, 2015)

Sarfraz Khan became one of the talking points of IPL 2015 when he made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore at the age of 17 years, 177 days. His incredible debut against Chennai Super Kings even made Virat Kohli bow down to him, after he scored a quick 11 from 7 balls at the fag end of the inning. 

3. Rahul Chahar (17y 247d, RPS, 2017)

After a good Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2016-17 season, Rahul Chahar was bought by Rising Pune Supergiant for 10 lakhs and was handed a debut for them at the age of 17y 247d. The leg spinner, though, got his success playing for the Mumbai Indians after joining them in 2018. 

Read Also | "Everything was too early for me; I have learned from the mistakes and am ready for that level now:" Prayas Ray Barman on his career after IPL

Other players who made their IPL debut before turning 18

1. Washington Sundar (17 years, 199 days, RPS, 2017)
2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (17 years 11 days, KXIP (now PBKS), 2018)
3. Abhishek Sharma (17y 250d, DD (now DC), 2018)
4. Sandeep Lamichhane (17y 283d, DD (now DC), 2018)
5. Riyan Parag (17 years, 152 days, RR, 2019)
6. Prayas Ray Barman (16 years and 157 days, RCB, 2019)
7. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14 years and 23 days, RR, 2025)

You can now play this IPL quiz to check if you remember all the names accurately or not. 

Ranji Trophy is an annual domestic first-class cricket competition organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and played between the country's state and regional cricket associations.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy winners since 1934-35 season

The premier domestic competition named after the first Indian cricketer, Ranjitsinhji, who was also known as 'Ranji', was launched in 1934-35 featuring 15 teams in four zones in a knockout format and has since expanded to a 32-team tournament in the league and knockout format.

The first-ever edition was won by Bombay now known as Mumbai, who have also won the Ranji title the most. Record champions Mumbai have won the Ranji Trophy 41 times so far. Mumbai has also reached the final 47 times.

Karnataka earlier played as Mysore is the second most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, having won the title 8 times and finished runners up 6 times followed by Delhi, who have won the title 7 times and finished as runners-up 8 times.

The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 has finally concluded with Vidarbha winning their third Ranji title defeating Kerala in the finals. Let's check out the last 10 winners of the Ranji title.

Read Also: Most Wickets in a Ranji Trophy Season

Last 10 winners of the Ranji Trophy

N.B: Last Updated on 03/03/2025.

For any so-called seasonal cricket fan, Kannur Lokesh Rahul is a popular name. For those who have never opened their windows other than the Indian Premier League, they can't reckon the beast KL who once smashed for fun while captaining for Kings XI Punjab!

KL, who was once heralded as one of the most versatile cricketers in the Indian circuit, is now hanging at a precarious point in his career. A story that could have had garlands of brilliance somehow got overpowered by unwanted controversy and unhealed injuries.

Even though the comeback from the controversy was strong, that from the injury not only shuffled his age-old position but dragged him to uncertainty—if he will be in the playing XI or not.

Rejection haunts his present

Rahul bending and touching the pitch—a simple and unintentional gesture that received retirement exxaggeration from fans. One can't actually guess if the fans are speculating or demanding his retirement from the team. 

In fact, Team India itself is in utter confusion, juggling with the express rookie Sarfaraz Khan and a sturdy senior Rahul. 

Sarafaraz, who himself was struggling to get a spot somehow managed to get in, played two series, but as injury replacements. This time it was the neck pain of Shubhman Gill that earned Sarfaraz a spot, and him giving India a respected score. 

Will it be justified for the shattered KL failing to make his mark in the team, asking for a spot on the base of seniority, especially sidelining the in-form Sarfaraz? Forget about KL; the team itself has no idea.

The team is probably trying to figure out a possible outcome. Earlier this morning, the newly appointed bowling head coach of the Indian team, Morne Morkel, was seen bowling Rahul in the nets. Any answer received? 

An IPL beast to uncertain retention

Remember the 2019 version of Kings XI Punjab? The team had all the names of who would simply "toss" and not "smash" the ball outside the park.

Priety Zinta's team was ornamented with all the batting names that were needed to entertain the fans: Nicky P, Chris Gayle, and David Miller. The two openers, rather the best-friend duo Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul would gift his team a blistering start.

At that point, Rahul was overcoming the consequences of the controversy. But who cares? He racked up stellar numbers, amassing 593 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2019 and following it up with another solid season.

KL got the team's captaincy in the 2020-21 session, scoring a massive 760 runs at an average of 44.60 with a strike rate over 140. Notably, the then Indian skipper Virat Kohli was just 1 run ahead of him, scoring 761 runs at an average of 54.35.

Retention Declined

A dominating name in the IPL periphery is now suffering from retension clouds. In the previous session, Rahul was seen in a tussel with his present team Lucknow Super Team's owner, Sanjiv Goyenka.

In the 2025 session, there are speculations that Rahul may not be having a future with the Super Giants, considering the form he displayed last year, coupled with his exile from Team India's T20I side.

Rahul didn't get the vote of confidence from LSG bosses before the retention deadline.

According to a report in the Times of India, LSG mentor Zaheer Khan and coach Justin Langer analysed Rahul's role in the franchise's losses last season. They figured out that the team may suffer hugely due to the number of balls Rahul plays in the middle before scoring runs.

Marred by controversy, Rahul lost battle to his form

Being absolutely silent may also lead to a suspension in three matches, and that's what KL faced in 2019. 

In 2019, KL’s career faced a major setback after appearing on the controversial show "Koffee with Karan." When it was just Hardik Pandya who made inappropriate comments, Rahul too suffered with his friend.

He was thus sent home mid-series during India’s tour of Australia. This episode came at a time when Rahul was already struggling with form, having racked up a string of low scores. The suspension felt like the final blow, pushing his red-ball career further into uncertainty.

Though he returned to the fold after the controversy, the damage had been done. Despite a strong showing in white-ball cricket, the Test door remained firmly closed.

While India’s cricketing calendar heavily revolved around Test matches, Rahul’s absence from red-ball cricket became increasingly noticeable. With the emergence of players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who cemented their spots, Rahul found himself sidelined.

The Wounds of Injuries and Lost Opportunities

Injuries have been a bar to Rahul's development. The thigh injury he sustained during an IPL 2023 match against RCB further added to his woes.

Even though the surgery was successful, as Rahul informed via his social media, his road to a successful comeback was halted. 

Talents who have been benched for so long, like Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, have made into India’s white-ball team. Traditionarily an opener in the red ball cricket, KL had to sacrifice his position for youngsters like Jaiswal and, in many instances, to Shubhman Gill.

A Steady Decline in Form

KL Rahul's stats in the test don't complement his actual accomplishment. Ideally, he is the one of those Indian batters to have had centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa. 

A batter whose majority of the innings fell to the drop zone in the fifties has an average of just 33.87 after 53 tests.  Among the 20 players who have played more than 80 innings for India in the history of Test cricket in the top six batting positions, Rahul has the worst average.

Many say he lacks patience, which contradicts his techniques and strokeplay, but him standing up for the team in need can rarely be denied.

The Twilight of a Career?

But in recent days, people are denying that; it may be out of frustration or expectation.

The terribly slow innings he played in the World Cup final (66 runs in 107 balls) not only brought him criticism but haunted himself, which he expressed in a podcast with Ravichandran Ashwin.

The "GPS tracker" of the team, who gallantly accepted the gloves in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, did a great job but somehow failed with his bat when his team mostly needed it. Once a poster boy in the white ball cricket got dragged under speculation.

Last nail to the coffin, exclusion from the T20 World Cup

Many expected the USA pitch to behave slowly. KL, who has earlier proved himself as an anchor, was a probable name in the list.

But the result worked otherwise. The image of Rahul, once a promising young cricketer with the world at his feet, is now tinged with melancholy.

Having the captain Rohit Sharma on his side, the chief selector of BCCI, Ajit Agarkar, announced that there won't be any KL Rahul in the plan.

He announced, "KL is a terrific player. We were looking for players [who could play] in the middle order; KL opens [for LSG]. Sanju [Samson] and [Rishabh] Pant can play in the middle; we felt these two are better in the latter stages of the innings."

But who knows if it was his slow start of the innings, turning into a curse?

Is There a Way Back for KL Rahul?

KL, who was dropped from the last Border Gavaskar Trophy, found his way into the team in the World Test Championship. But at what cost? as a replacement for injured Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.

Rahul, who is sporty at any position in the team, be it batting or keeping gloves, is now adjusting to his in-and-out role.

If its just his form or some cricketing politics, what he mentioned to his LSG coach Justin Langer is still not clear.

However, while his recent struggles have been disheartening, KL Rahul remains a fighter. His journey, filled with peaks and troughs, has never lacked resilience. With time still on his side, the question lingers—can KL Rahul find his way back to the top?

Only time will tell. For now, the gentle fall of this once radiant star continues to cast a shadow over Indian cricket.