Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav received their first calls-ups for the longest format of the game when Team India’s roster for the first two Tests of the series against Australia was unveiled earlier this month. Sarfaraz Khan, who was generally expected to play in the Border-Gavaskar series in February, was conspicuously absent from the squad. Sarfaraz had been giving Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy consistent performances, smashing three century in the current edition of the competition.
Sarfaraz scored a significant 125-run knock in the first innings of his most recent game against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With an undefeated 126, he scored his first century of the year against Hyderabad. Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s top off-spinner, has elaborated on his official YouTube channel about Sarfaraz’s rejection and insisted that his regular performances in the domestic circuit are a “strong statement.”
“How do I even begin to describe this batsman? Khan, Sarfaraz. Whether or not he ought to be chosen is a hotly contested topic. However, guys, he doesn’t care about selection. He ran in 900 races in the 2019–20 season. Another 900 runs will be scored in the 2020–21 season, Ashwin said.
He has around 600 runs scored this season. With his bare performances, he has sent a powerful message. In the previous three seasons, he averaged more than 100 and had a high strike rate. Sarfaraz Khan isn’t just banging on the doors of the hiring committee. He is incinerated them. But regrettably, he is not currently being chosen,” the off-spinner stated.
Ashwin continued, “Despite not being chosen, he produced a fantastic knock for Mumbai against Delhi in the game that Mumbai lost.
Sarfaraz helped Mumbai out of difficulty by scoring a vital 162 against Tamil Nadu. Mumbai was in danger at 161/6 when Sarfaraz and Tanush Kotian put on a 167-run partnership (71). Mumbai ultimately finished their innings with 481 as the game was tied. Sarfaraz did not play for Mumbai against Maharashtra in their last Group B encounter.
