Sarfaraz Khan has become a player of interest in Indian cricket following his much elusive India debut in the 3rd Test against England.
The talented Mumbai player has been a prolific run scorer in domestic cricket and got his much-deserved chance for India after a long wait. And the player is still waiting for a suitor in the upcoming IPL season.
Sarfaraz Khan remained unsold in the IPL 2024 auction. The 26-year-old played for Delhi Capitals in 2023 but had an underwhelming season. Out of the four matches that he played, he could only manage 53 runs, and was subsequently released by the Capitals ahead of the auction.
At the auction, despite the modest base price of Rs 20 lakh, he couldn’t find a team as none of the ten franchises went for his signature. After his stellar outing with India, the shockwaves are running high as people are in disbelief that Sarfaraz may not play in the IPL this season.
But amid the frenzy, there are reports that Kolkata Knight Riders are interested in acquiring his services. Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika also published that KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir is actively pushing for Sarfaraz’s signature. With captain Shreyas Iyer out for now with a troubled back, Sarfaraz’s entry will bolster their batting, which has often been the weak point for them.
Why Sarfaraz Khan can only join KKR?
Although we may expect a tug of war for Sarfaraz’s signature among franchises, luckily for Kolkata Knight Riders, they are the sole suitors who can sign Sarfaraz for the upcoming IPL edition.
Despite all franchises having enough money to sign the Indian player, KKR are the solitary team that can afford Sarfaraz because of their small squad size. In IPL, there is a maximum squad limit of 25 players. All the nine franchises, except KKR, fulfilled that quota during the auction. The Knight Riders only have 23 players, and hence they have the room to rope in Sarfaraz Khan if they want.
The other franchises can also sign Sarfaraz Khan, but they will have to release a player to do that. Hence the two-time IPL Champions will have the first crack at the Indian prodigy if they want him.