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Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan paid a heart-rending tribute to late singer Sidhu Moose Wala after scoring a magnificent century in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy final against Madhya Pradesh at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, June 23.
Sarfaraz came to bat when Mumbai were 147-3 after 50.1 overs. The top order had fallen without a big score and the middle order was doing the same. But the right-handed batter dug in and smashed 101 off 190 balls. He reached his century with a boundary against spinner Kumar Kartikeya in the 114th over.
The teary-eyed youngster celebrated by punching the air and letting out an intense roar. He then did the 'thigh-five', a popular signature step of Moose Wala, which gained emotional significance when the Punjabi singer's father did it proudly during his son's funeral procession.
Here's a video of Sarfaraz's celebration:
Moose Wala, one of the most popular and revered singers of his generation, was brutally shot dead on May 29 at the age of 28 in his home district of Mansa.
Sarfaraz Khan's magical run continues
This was Sarfaraz's fourth century in this year's Ranji Trophy. Earlier, he scored 275 (401) against Saurashtra, 63 and 48 in two innings against Goa, 165 (181) against Odisha, 153 (205) against Uttrakhand in the quarter-finals, and two more 40-plus scores against Uttar Pradesh in the semi-finals.
He has now taken his overall season tally past the 900-run mark, becoming the top run-scorer of the season. This is the youngster's second consecutive 900-plus season, having hit 928 runs, including three centuries, at an average of 78.64 in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy. Such stellar form has prompted fans and pundits alike to demand his maiden call-up to India's Test side.
Leading Mumbai to a win in the final would arguably bring that dream one step closer. At Lunch on Day 2, he was batting on 119 off 224 balls, with the team's score at 351-8.
You can catch the live proceedings here.
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