Sarfaraz Khan, the promising young Indian batsman, has once again been left out by the senior selection committee for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies. Reports suggest that a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official has made revealing statements regarding Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from the squad.
Despite consistently performing well in domestic cricket, Sarfaraz Khan has been overlooked by the selectors for various tours and tournaments, including the Bangladesh tour, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia at home, and the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final.
The selection committee has not provided any official response or explanation for Sarfaraz Khan’s omission. However, an anonymous BCCI official, speaking to the news agency PTI, indicated that the young batsman may not be considered for the Indian team in the near future.
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“Just think about it. Why was Sarfaraz not even among the reserves for the World Test Championship? Suryakumar Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the two reserves after Ruturaj pulled out due to his marriage,” the official explained.
The selectors opted for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has a first-class average of 42.19, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with an average of 80.21 in first-class cricket but limited experience with only 15 games. This decision has raised questions and sparked discussions among cricket enthusiasts.
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According to a PTI report, Sarfaraz Khan currently ranks lower in the pecking order for the Indian Test team. The report suggests that Ajinkya Rahane will play at No. 5, and Ruturaj Gaikwad has been selected as the reserve middle-order batsman who can also be used as a floater.
Shreyas Iyer, currently recovering from a back injury, is expected to be considered for selection once he regains fitness. Suryakumar Yadav is ahead of Sarfaraz in the pecking order. Suryakumar is set to represent the West Zone team in the upcoming edition of the Duleep Trophy.
The 25-year-old Sarfaraz Khan delivered impressive performances in recent seasons, scoring 928 runs in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, 982 runs in the 2021-22 season, and 556 runs in the 2022-23 season. He has amassed 3,505 runs in 37 first-class matches at an exceptional average of 79.65, which is the highest for an Indian batsman (minimum 50 innings).