Sarfaraz Khan was surprisingly left out of the India A squad for the upcoming two-match unofficial Test series against South Africa A. The middle-order batter was reportedly asked to bat higher than his usual No. 5 position for Mumbai in a bid to showcase his abilities and strengthen his case for future selections.
Sarfaraz was expected to play for India A in the red-ball series following his snub from the West Indies series. However, the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar ignored him. He will continue representing Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. Sarfaraz last featured for India in the Test series against New Zealand in 2024.
Sarfaraz Khan is currently preparing for Mumbai’s second Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh. Young opener Ayush Mhatre has left to prepare for India A’s series against South Africa A in Bengaluru.
Sarfaraz had initially broken into the national team with strong domestic performances, but was inconsistent in India whites last year. He scored a standout hundred in Bengaluru against New Zealand but then recorded a string of low scores on turning tracks.
After a bench stint during the Australian tour and missing the England series due to a quadriceps injury, he has fallen further down the pecking order.
Sarfaraz would need to move up the Mumbai batting order from No. 5 and demonstrate his capabilities. However, it depends on how his role aligns with the team’s current combinations.
I Think Our Batting Order Is Set - Shardul Thakur
In Mumbai’s season opener against J&K, Sarfaraz Khan batted behind senior players Ajinkya Rahane and Siddhesh Lad. Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur stated that the team’s batting order is likely to remain unchanged.
Thakur also said that Sarfaraz’s participation in India A matches is not essential for a Test recall. He added that if Sarfaraz returns to scoring consistently, he could directly make a comeback to the national Test side.
“I think our batting order is set. We don’t need to make any changes,” Thakur said.
“I think nowadays in India A side, they look at boys, (who) they want to prepare for international cricket. I think Sarfaraz doesn’t need India A games to play international cricket."
"If he gets back to scoring again, I mean because he is coming from injury lay-off, I am making this statement. If he scores runs, he can straight away go and play Test series also,” the Mumbai captain said.
Regardless of Which Number Sarfaraz Khan Bats... - Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur said that Sarfaraz Khan is a dependable senior player with the ability to perform in crucial moments. He described Sarfaraz as a special talent who consistently contributes big scores, regardless of his batting position.
“I think he is a senior pro who always delivers in crunch situations. He is one of the special players who never disappoints to perform and put up big scores. He has done it for years and years. Regardless of which number he bats, I think he will deliver,” Shardul stated.
The Indian team management and selectors are unconvinced about Sarfaraz’s immediate prospects. With limited coordination between the national and Mumbai selectors, Sarfaraz’s focus remains on delivering big scores.
Also read: "Harshit Rana still playing" - Fans react as Arshdeep Singh excluded from India’s playing XI for Sydney ODI
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