Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticized selectors for overlooking Sarfaraz Khan for the upcoming Test matches in the West Indies. Gavaskar believes that if players are solely selected for the Test team based on their performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), then there is no need to continue with the Ranji Trophy tournament.
Gavaskar expressed his opinion in an interview with India Today, stating that Sarfaraz Khan has consistently performed well in the Ranji Trophy, with an average of 100 runs over the past three seasons. He questioned what more Sarfaraz needs to do to be included in the squad, emphasizing that even if he may not make it to the playing XI, he should at least be given a spot in the team to acknowledge his performances.
Gavaskar suggested that if selectors fail to recognize the efforts of players like Sarfaraz, then there is no purpose in continuing with the Ranji Trophy. He argued that it would be more appropriate to say that playing IPL alone is enough for players to consider themselves suitable for the red ball format.
For those unfamiliar with Sarfaraz Khan’s achievements, he amassed 556 runs in six games during the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy, boasting an impressive average of 92.66, including three centuries. In the previous season, he scored 982 runs at an average of 122.75, featuring four centuries.
Sarfaraz Khan has an impressive overall record in first-class cricket, accumulating 3505 runs in 37 matches with an average of 79.65. He has also notched up 13 centuries during his career.