Jaipur: Sarfaraz Khan ended 2025 with a magnificent 75-ball 157 studded with 14 sixes as Mumbai inched closer towards the knock-out with an 87-run victory over Goa in a group C game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Wednesday.
Sarfaraz, who was also in prime form during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, hit a 56-ball century, his third in List A as Mumbai posted an insurmountable 444 for 8 and then restricted Goa to 357 for 9.
This is Mumbai’s fourth successive win in the group league stage and one more win out of the remaining three games will almost ensure a smooth passage into the quarter-finals.
On a day when Yashasvi Jaiswal (46) made his comeback after being laid low by gastritis during the opening week of the National One Day Championship, Sarfaraz owned the stage at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground where he made a mincemeat of the Goa attack with nine fours and 14 sixes.
A many as 10 out of his 14 sixes were hit of off-spinner Lalit Yadav (2/93 in 9 overs) and left-arm spinner Darshan Misal (3/98 in 9 overs). He hit Lalit for four sixes, while Misal was dispatched for half-a-dozen maximums.
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun was hammered for 78 runs in eight overs.
While Sarfaraz was dismissed in the 42nd over when he was looking good for his maiden double hundred in List A cricket, Mumbai didn’t lose the tempo with more than 100 runs coming off the last 8 overs.
Musheer Khan (60 off 66 balls), wicketkeeper Hardik Tamore (53 off 28 balls), Shams Mulani (22 off 15 balls), Tanush Kotian (23 not out off 12 balls) and skipper Shardul Thakur (27 off eight balls) wielded the long handle to good effect as the winners hammered 35 fours and 25 sixes.
In reply, Goa were never in the chase but Lalit Yadav (64), Abhinav Tejrana (100) and Deepraj Gaonkar (70) did bat well during the middle overs but it was never going to be enough.
Skipper Shardul Thakur (3/20 in 6 overs) once again showed his wares on a flat deck, while Yashasvi Jaiswal, bowling his leg-breaks, got smashed for 52 in just 3 overs but got a couple of wickets in the bargain.
