Why Sarfaraz Khan is Not Keeping in RR vs CSK Match?

The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is underway and in the first week of the tournament, teams try different combinations going into the initial matches. The teams also look into trying various kinds of roles which may overlap with the other players. In the third match of this season, Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, we saw similar kind of situation when the five-times champions, Chennai Super Kings had three wicket-keeper batters in the playing XI despite MS Dhoni's absence. It made fans curious to know who will be CSK wicket keeper 2026 as well as why Sarfaraz Khan didn't pick the role of behind the stumps in CSK's first match.

Why Sarfaraz Khan is Not Keeping Wickets?

Indian wicket-keeper batter, Sarfaraz Khan didn't keep wickets in the RR vs CSK IPL match because the role of wicket-keeping was supposed to be taken up by Sanju Samson in the absence of MS Dhoni. Sanju is considered to be one of the best wicket-keepers in India and held the responsibility well. However, Sarfaraz Khan was even in the Playing XI for the first match but was included as an impact player after the top order of CSK collapsed and it created the another opening of wicket-keeper in the CSK's Playing XI.

Over the years, Sarfaraz Khan gave up the role of wicket-keeping as he was the back-up or part-time keeper in the Mumbai Domestic Team as well as for Delhi Capitals in IPL during recent years. However, the middle-order batter shifted his focus on batting as compared to wicket-keeping and worked on his hitting abilities to become one of the brutal players.

Sarfaraz Khan CSK Impact Player

The Chennai Super Kings tried to bring a perfect Playing XI into their first match of the season. But, the odds didn't favor the team as they had to bring an impact player quite early after the top-order was collapsed in yet another RR vs CSK H2H. Sarfaraz Khan, who is the new addition to squad, was brought in as an impact player replacing the young Ayush Mhatre at the 3.2 overs in the hope of handling the batting collapse and score some runs.

However, CSK impact player was looking in a decent touch and was playing his natural game of hitting but was out at the score of 17 runs off 12 balls including 2 boundaries and 1 six. He was dismissed by the former CSK player Ravindra Jadeja in his very first over. The career of Sarfaraz Khan CSK started on a bad not but he will be looking to do well in the later part of the season.