Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his disappointment over the recent Test squad announcements for the highly anticipated Test series against England. Ashwin stated that young batter Sarfaraz Khan did not deserve to be left out of the squad, adding that he has scored a lot of runs.
The BCCI announced an 18-player Indian squad for the series against England, starting on June 20 in Leeds. Following the recent Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the selectors included Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Karun Nair, but Sarfaraz Khan was excluded from the squad.
Sarfaraz Khan didn’t play a single match in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Australia. He has scored 371 runs at an average of 37.1 from six Tests, all played at home.
After a long wait for his international debut, he performed well in home series against England and New Zealand in 2024. He played his last Test against New Zealand, where he scored just one run in two innings.
However, Sarfaraz is part of the India A squad touring England, where they will play two first-class matches against the England Lions starting on May 30, followed by an intra-squad game against the main Indian team.
Sarfaraz Khan Has Scored a Lot of Runs Already - Ravichandran Ashwin
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out that Sarfaraz Khan has performed well and did nothing to deserve being dropped. Ravichandran Ashwin emphasized the need for clear communication from team management to Sarfaraz. He also congratulated Karun Nair on his selection.
"When the Indian team gets selected now, it is not pleasant anymore. Nowadays, people are almost always angry over someone not getting selected. Look, Sarfaraz Khan has scored a lot of runs already, but Karun Nair's selection cannot be questioned."
"But if you ask me what Sarfaraz did wrong? I have no answer. I really hope someone has had a talk with Sarfaraz, there should be a call from the leadership or the management. He should be given reasoning and the way he can get back into the team," Ravichandran Ashwin said.
"What will Sarfaraz Khan think now? What can he look forward to next? He'll go back to first-class cricket and score 1000 runs, but what after that? I think it is very hard on Sarfaraz Khan, but at the same time, I am very happy for Karun Nair," Ashwin added.
Karun Nair enjoyed an outstanding domestic season with Vidarbha in both the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy. He also showed good form while representing the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2025.
Maybe Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre Are a Little Distance Away - Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin said that there is intense competition for opening spots in Team India’s T20I squad.
He mentioned several contenders, including Priyansh Arya, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, adding that Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre might be a little behind in the race.
"There is so much competition in that T20I side. Just look at the opening slot, who will you play? Priyansh Arya has put his name in the ring, then there is Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Yashasvi Jaiswal."
"Maybe Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre are a little distance away from the T20 column. I forgot Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, so the batting talent is there in abundance," Ashwin said.
Team India is set to play their next T20I series against Bangladesh in August, following the conclusion of the IPL 2025 season and the England tour.
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