Sarfaraz Khan’s return to India’s Check squad has added one other identify to a curious listing that Chennai Tremendous Kings have been constructing nearly because the starting of the IPL: gamers whose worldwide careers have discovered recent life after a stint in yellow.
Sarfaraz was initially missed for India’s two-Check tour of Sri Lanka, having remained exterior the nationwide aspect because the Mumbai Check in opposition to New Zealand in November 2024. When Sai Sudharsan was subsequently dominated out with a stress response in his proper toe, nevertheless, the selectors turned to Sarfaraz forward of the primary Check in Galle starting August 15.
It might be simplistic to credit score CSK alone for the recall. Sarfaraz’s formidable first-class file remained the principal basis of his Check case, whereas he had additionally reworked his health and continued accumulating runs away from the IPL. However Chennai supplied one other necessary piece of proof in 2026: that the 28-year-old may reinvent himself reasonably than merely wait for one more alternative.
Purchased for ₹75 lakh after two seasons exterior the IPL, Sarfaraz scored 161 runs for CSK at a strike charge of 169.47. The quantity was modest as a result of his alternatives have been restricted, however the method of the runs was putting. His season included a 25-ball 50 in opposition to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and a 12-ball 32 in opposition to Punjab Kings. For CSK, there’s appreciable historical past behind that sort of revival.
From Raina and Nehra to Dube: CSK’s comeback path
Suresh Raina supplied one of many earliest examples in 2008. Having dropped out of India’s ODI aspect in early 2007, Raina entered the inaugural IPL together with his worldwide profession at a crossroads. He scored 421 runs for CSK at a strike charge of 142.71, together with three half-centuries, earlier than returning to India’s limited-overs aspect. Raina himself later stated the IPL success had labored wonders for his confidence as he started what successfully turned the second part of his worldwide profession.
Lakshmipathy Balaji’s comeback was much more dramatic. Severe again accidents had taken him out of worldwide cricket after 2005 and compelled him to rework his bowling motion. When he returned via CSK in 2008, Balaji produced the primary hat-trick in IPL historical past. He adopted that with 36 wickets throughout the 2008-09 home season earlier than an damage to Munaf Patel opened the door for an India recall in Sri Lanka in January 2009 — nearly 4 years after his earlier worldwide look.
Ashish Nehra repeated the sample on an excellent bigger scale. Nehra had not represented India because the 2011 World Cup when CSK signed him. At 36, and after a profession repeatedly interrupted by accidents, his worldwide days gave the impression to be over. As a substitute, IPL 2015 turned one of many most interesting seasons of his profession: 22 wickets at 18.54 with an financial system charge of seven.03. India lastly recalled him for T20Is on the finish of that yr. Nehra went on to change into an everyday member of the T20 aspect, serving to India beat Australia 3-0 away and enjoying within the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Ambati Rayudu adopted in 2018. His first season with Chennai produced 602 runs at a strike charge of 149.75, comfortably the best combination of his IPL profession on the time. India chosen him for the ODI tour of England earlier than a failed health check delayed his comeback; he finally returned throughout the Asia Cup later that yr and briefly turned India’s most popular candidate at No.4.
Ajinkya Rahane’s revival in 2023 was barely totally different however equally revealing. By then, Rahane had been exterior India’s Check aspect for 16 months and had developed a repute within the IPL as a conservative batter whose finest T20 years have been behind him. CSK modified his position, encouraging him to assault reasonably than anchor. The outcomes have been fast. His early-season assault included 61 from 27 balls in opposition to the Mumbai Indians, and his reworked method pushed him again into the nationwide dialog. When India named their squad for the World Check Championship remaining, Rahane was recalled. Accidents to Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Rahane’s home type have been necessary elements, so attributing the choice solely to the IPL can be deceptive; nonetheless, his CSK transformation dramatically altered perceptions round him.
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Shivam Dube supplies maybe the clearest trendy instance. Dube had not performed a T20I for India since February 2020, when CSK started reshaping his profession. Relatively than demanding that he set up himself as a traditional seam-bowling all-rounder, Chennai focused on his most harmful asset: middle-overs energy, significantly in opposition to spin. After scoring 289 runs in 2022, Dube amassed 418 at a strike charge of 158.33 in IPL 2023 as CSK received the title. He was subsequently recalled by India for the Eire sequence after an absence of greater than three years and finally turned a part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad.
The sample has not been restricted to Indian gamers.
Dewald Brevis went unsold on the IPL 2025 public sale earlier than CSK recruited him halfway via the season as an damage substitute. In six innings, the South African smashed 225 runs at a strike charge of 180, restoring a lot of the momentum that had disappeared after his emergence as one in every of world cricket’s most enjoyable younger batters.
Sarfaraz, subsequently, enters a lineage extending from Raina and Balaji to Nehra, Rayudu, Rahane, Dube and Brevis. There isn’t a magic formulation, and each comeback had totally different causes. Accidents created openings for some; home performances strengthened the circumstances of others. However CSK’s recurring contribution has been extra particular: figuring out a task for gamers whose worth had change into unsure, trusting them in that position, and permitting performances to alter the dialog round their careers.
For Sarfaraz, the Check recall shouldn’t be the conclusion of that course of. It’s the alternative the method has helped him attain.
