Overview:
Although the selectors are not likely to make changes to the T20I team, the fitness of Shubman Gill could open the door for a new player, and Sarfaraz has once again shown he is a format player.
Sarfaraz Khan has been completely forgotten by the national selectors, and despite his magnificent run in the domestic tournaments, the decision-makers continue to ignore him. He last played for India in a New Zealand Test series last year and was then benched during the entire Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. He didn’t make it to the team for the assignments against England, West Indies and South Africa.
Sarfaraz is also not considered for India A matches, which is surprising and baffling as the batter is among the top performers in the Ranji Trophy. The right-handed batter has again sent a timely reminder to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel ahead of the five-match T20I series. He scored a sensational hundred for Mumbai in a match against Assam in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The young batter amassed an unbeaten 100 runs off 47 balls, laced with 8 boundaries and 7 sixes as Mumbai posted 220/4 in the allotted 20 overs. Although the selectors are not likely to make changes to the T20I team, the fitness of Shubman Gill could open the door for a new player, and Sarfaraz has once again shown he is a format player.
Meanwhile, former players and fans have been questioning the BCCI for excluding Sarfaraz despite the batters failing to counter spin conditions at home. In the recent series against the Proteas, the host nation went down 0-2, with the willow holders unable to complete against the tweakers. Simon Harmer took 17 wickets, and none of the Indian cricketers were comfortable in the middle.
With the failure of Sai Sudharsan, some of the cricket experts highlighted the absence of Sarfaraz, urging the team management to give another chance to the talented cricketer. In 6 Tests, he has scored 371 runs, with the help of 1 hundred and three fifties. Sarfaraz has competed in 60 first matches, amassing 4863 runs at an average of 63.15 and a strike rate of 70.10. He has hit 16 hundreds and 16 fifties so far.