Sarfaraz Khan made his highly anticipated Test debut earlier this year during India’s home series against England, impressing by scoring 200 runs in five innings, including three half-centuries. With an average of 50 and a strike rate of 79.36, he justified the hype surrounding his selection. However, the return of key players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant could mean that Sarfaraz may lose his spot in the playing XI for the upcoming Bangladesh Test series, starting September 19.
Despite retaining his place in the squad, which will be led by Rohit Sharma, Sarfaraz is unlikely to feature in the opening Test in Chennai. The return of first-choice players makes his inclusion uncertain. Moreover, his selection for the India B squad for the second round of the Duleep Trophy further indicates that he may miss out. The Duleep Trophy’s second-round matches are set to conclude on September 15, just three days before the Bangladesh series begins, making it improbable for Sarfaraz to be in the playing XI for the first Test. Other Test players who competed in the first round of the Duleep Trophy will be departing for Chennai, reinforcing this expectation.
Former Indian opener and 1983 World Cup-winning team member Kris Srikkanth expressed his sympathy for Sarfaraz. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth noted that such situations are common in cricket, citing Rishabh Pant’s return forcing young talent Dhruv Jurel out of the squad as an example. “I feel bad for Sarfaraz Khan; even if you play well, sometimes some big player comes in after an injury, and you lose your place,” Srikkanth said.
Srikkanth further explained that KL Rahul’s return will be preferred given India’s upcoming series, including a crucial tour of Australia. “At the end of the day, you need to keep the Australia series in mind. KL Rahul has done very well in Australia, so he’s the man for those difficult conditions,” Srikkanth added.
We certainly agree with Srikkanth, what do you say?
