Sarfaraz Khan likely to skip Ranji Trophy quarter-final vs Karnataka due to massive reason
Published - 05 Feb 2026, 01:17 PM | Updated - 05 Feb 2026, 11:35 PM
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Mumbai will be facing Karnataka in the all-important Ranji Trophy 2025/26 quarter-final match on 6th February, Friday. It is the first time that these two teams have met each other after nearly six years. Ahead of the game, the 42-time champions have been struck with a setback. Star batter Sarfaraz Khan will be missing out on the crucial fixture.
Sarfaraz Khan has been admitted to the hospital due to a viral fever. This is a major setback for the Mumbai side as Sarfaraz has been one of the finest domestic batters for the side in recent years. He has been in good form in the ongoing season, scoring 429 runs in seven matches, with an average of 53.62.
Sarfaraz Khan will be a big miss
He has scored one century and one half-century in this season and has struck 44 fours and 11 sixes for the most successful Ranji side, which is the most for his side. Sarfaraz Khan has scored amassing over 1,600 runs across the 2022-23 to 2024-25 seasons. In the 2023-24 season, he played a pivotal role for Mumbai to win the championship. His absence will surely hurt Mumbai in the middle order.
Sarfaraz Khan was previously missed in the game against Delhi after picking up a hamstring injury. He batted in the game, scoring 24 runs andbefore picking up the niggle and after he was dismissed, he did not take the field thereafter. Sarfaraz was last spotted in an interactive session with the icon Sachin Tendulkar.
'It is unclear whether he will recover in time'- Source
A source recently told TOI that Sarfaraz has a viral fever and has been hospitalised.
"He is unwell, and that is why he could not come out to field in Mumbai's last match against Delhi. At the moment, it is unclear whether he will recover in time for the Karnataka match," added the source on Sarfaraz's condition.
Sarfaraz Khan is the second-highest run-scorer for Mumbai behind Siddhesh Lad. He is the only batter to score a double century for Mumbai in the ongoing season. Though Mumbai’s captain, Shardul Thakur, and star opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, have been back in the squad after missing out on the previous games due to different reasons, despite the absence of Sarfaraz, they still have a strong squad.
Karnataka leads against Mumbai
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is yet to officially confirm that Sarfaraz has been ruled out of the match. Though his participation in the game is unlikely. Siddhesh Lad has also been in excellent form, scoring four consecutive centuries and emerging as the side’s best batter this season.
In the last five meetings between these two teams, Karnataka has won three and drawn two of them. This is their first match since 2020, when Karnataka won by five wickets. Mumbai will try to alter things around this time, remembering its past.
Mumbai squad:
Shardul Thakur (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Siddesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Aakash Anand (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Sairaj Patil, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Omkar Tarmale, Divyesh Saxena, and Suryansh Shedge.
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