According to various reports, Indian domestic stalwart Sarfaraz Khan may not make it into the India squad anytime soon, as he is well below the pecking order to make it into the Indian side in the longer format of the game.
Indian team selectors and management face the wrath of the fans and experts over the non-selection of Sarfaraz Khan in the team despite performing consistently in domestic cricket.
The Mumbai domestic batter was ignored from the squad of the Border Gavaskar Trophy and World Test Championship final, despite the injuries to Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, as the team has gone back to Ajinkya Rahane for the number 5 spot in the team.
The youngster was not even selected on the standby list for the Indian team for the WTC final, which clearly indicated Sarfaraz Khan is well below Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the selection list. Sarfaraz’s consistent performance in domestic cricket was ignored by the selectors, which led to a wide range of speculation in media outlets and social media.
According to the reports in Hindustan Times a BCCI official maintained, “Just think about it. Why was Sarfaraz not even among the reserves for the World Test Championship? Suryakumar Yadav and Yashasvi Jasiwal were the two reserves after Ruturaj pulled out due to his marriage.”
Suryakumar Yadav was not given the chance in the test squad, as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are seen as longtime options for the Indian in all three formats of the game. The two youngsters are expected to play a vital role in the Indian team for the next World Test Championship Cycle.
There was a lot of speculation about Sarfaraz Khan’s non-selection in the team, it was reported that Sarfaraz Khan’s snub from the Indian team has been linked to fitness and disciplinary issues of the youngster, as his behaviour on and off the field was not received well by the Indian selectors, as it could have been the reason for his non-selection in the team.
Sarfaraz Khan has been one of the consistent performers for Mumbai, as he amassed 3,505 runs from 37 matches 13 centuries, and nine half-centuries at an average of 79.65. The prolific run-scorer scored 556 runs in 6 games in the 2022 season with the help of three centuries and an average of more than 90.