Sarfaraz Khan shines in Irani Cup after India Test squad release, equals Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid

His century in the prestigious tournament also put him in esteemed company, matching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, both of whom have scored two centuries in the competition.

Many other batting stalwarts, including Shikhar Dhawan, Polly Umrigar, and India's shining young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, also have two centuries to their name in the Irani Cup. Dilip Vengsarkar and Gundappa Viswanath hold the joint record for most centuries in the tournament (4), while Hanuma Vihari, Abhinav Mukund, Sunil Gavaskar, and Wasim Jaffer have three centuries each.

In a crucial fifth-wicket partnership with Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz stitched together a vital 131-run stand that steadied the innings after a shaky start. While Rahane fell agonizingly short of a century, scoring 97 off 234 deliveries, Sarfaraz breached the three-figure mark, scoring his 15th century in first-class cricket. Interestingly, Sarfaraz has now hit more centuries than half-centuries (14) in the domestic red-ball circuit.

Interestingly, it was announced during Day 4 of the second Test against Bangladesh that Sarfaraz, along with Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal, was released from the Team India squad. Sarfaraz didn't take part in the first Test, either, but was used frequently as a substitute fielder in both matches.

He made his Team India debut earlier this year during the Test series against England, making a strong start to his international career. However, Sarfaraz was forced to bench as KL Rahul returned to the playing XI, assuming the no.6 role in the batting order.

Sarfaraz, however, is likely to retain his place in the Test squad when India returns to the longest format during the series against New Zealand later this month.