BCCI recently announced the 16-member squad for the two-match Test series in the West Indies. Sarfaraz Khan, despite his consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy, did not make it into the squad.
While Sarfaraz was left out of the squad, talented young Indian players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad received their first call-up due to their impressive performances in the IPL.
Sarfaraz Khan has been a standout performer for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 3505 runs at an average of 79.65 in 37 matches. He has consistently excelled in all three seasons he has played, with 928 runs at an average of 154 in the 2019/20 season, 982 runs at an average of 122.75 in the 21/22 season, and 556 runs in the 22/23 season.
In response to his exclusion, the 25-year-old Sarfaraz showcased his batting prowess in a video featuring highlights from the Ranji Trophy. Interestingly, the video had no caption but played the song “Manzar hai naya” from the film Uri in the background.
This marks the fourth time in the past year that Sarfaraz Khan has been overlooked for the Indian Test team. He was not included in the squad for the Bangladesh Test series, as well as the Border Gavaskar Trophy and the WTC final.
Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has criticized the selection committee for their failure to select Sarfaraz in the Indian Test set-up, despite his outstanding performances. In an interview with Sports Today, Gavaskar stated, “Sarfaraz Khan has been averaging 100 in the past three seasons. What more does he need to do to be selected? He may not make it into the playing XI, but he should at least be part of the team.”
“Let him know that his performances are being recognized. Otherwise, there’s no point in playing Ranji Trophy. He should just focus on the IPL and believe that he’s good enough for Test cricket as well,” added the former Indian opener.