Sarfaraz Khan's Snub From Team India: Indian Cricket Legend Hopes Selectors Get In Touch With Out-Of-Favour Batter

Indian Cricketing legend and commentator at present, Sunil Gavaskar, is hopeful that India's senior selection committee, under the chairmanship of Ajit Agarkar, has communicated to out-of-favour batter Sarfaraz Khan why he was not considered for selection after India's tour to Australia. Notably, the Mumbai-born Cricketer was dropped from even India 'A' squads as they South Africa's 'A' in two four-day matches in Bengaluru.

Interestingly, Sarfaraz played his previous match for India during the New Zealand home series in late 2024, as he remained benched during the entire tour of Australia. The 28-year-old recently underwent a physical transformation, losing a lot of weight as he found himself scoring runs again during the India 'A' tour of England. However, he got snubbed from the main squad as India played a 2-2 draw against England in the five-match series.

Sensing all this, the selectors came under a lot of criticism from fans as they felt that Sarfaraz is being treated unfairly. While speaking to India Today, Gavaskar hoped that Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had a word with Sarfaraz.

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"I think it would have been good if the selection committee had told why he was not considered. Hopefully they've conveyed to him. Because only last year, he got 100 against New Zealand on a pitch where not too many others got runs. He got 140 or 150. So, he is capable of batting and scoring runs at the highest level."

"He hasn't really got the opportunities. You could say whether it was in Australia or England, he wasn't even in the squad. Maybe because of injury, but whatever the reason that he has not been picked up, which has not been made public as long as he's been told why, and therefore he has the opportunity to get better, that would be a good thing to do. About his ability, everybody has seen the runs he has scored, everything, so, hopefully the selection committee has been in touch with him," said Gavaskar.

Gavaskar also gave the example of the early 2000s, where players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly occupied the middle order and several other good players had to miss out.

"Well, that's it. But that's, that's how selection sometimes is. And sometimes you miss out. Sometimes, only 11 can play, and then sometimes only 16 can be included. There are players who are good enough, but who don't always find a place. There's so many in the history of cricket, not just in Indian cricket, so many who are good enough, but who unfortunately, being born at the wrong time, where there were others who were as good or slightly better, who played for a long time."

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"When you had Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Saurav Ganguly in the team, who could come in the middle order? They were there for about 10-12 years. There were so many. Good players. So that's how it is. But hopefully, like I said, uh, Ajit Agarkar has had a word with Sarfraz and told him why he's not in consideration at the moment."

"Maybe they just want him to play Ranji Trophy and, and get loads of runs," said Gavaskar.