Sarfaraz Khan warmed the bench in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was the only one who was part of the squad in all 5 matches who didn’t get to play. When the next series comes, Sarfaraz isn’t even part of the Test squad. You have to feel that he’s hard done by. Through no fault of his own, he’s been dropped.
Why remains the question. What was the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) reasoning for deciding that Sarfaraz doesn’t merit a place in India’s squad for England? Cheteshwar Pujara believes that there might have been 2-3 reasons behind his non-selection.
Lack of confidence outside of Asia
For starters, Pujara reckons that the selectors or management don’t think he’s a perfect fit outside Asia. This makes sense, as Sarfaraz didn’t play in Australia. “The reason he is not in the squad, I feel, is he has been very successful in the Asian conditions or in India. The management feels that he may not be as successful in Australia or in England,” Pujara told Hindustan Times.
Fitness
Then comes the fitness issue. While not overweight, Sarfaraz certainly didn’t look at his physical best. And as Pujara mentions, he’s worked on that, cutting 10 kg through a strict diet regimen just before the India A tour starts on May 30. “And there were some fitness issues in the past. I don’t know about his current fitness. But he has been working hard on his fitness also,” he added.
Stiff competition
But the important piece might have been the performance from his competitors. Sarfaraz hasn’t played a match since November 2024. In this time, players like Karun Nair and Shreyas Iyer have thrived. Of these, only one made the cut. And Sarfaraz couldn’t be retained due to them outshining him.
“I feel it’s a bit unfortunate. But at the same time, someone like Karun Nair, who has performed really well in domestic cricket, deserved an opportunity,” Pujara added.
Fitness or inexperience? Pujara speculates about Sarfaraz Khan’s exclusion from IND vs ENG Tests Inside Sport India.
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