NEW DELHI: Sarfaraz Khan's omission from the India A for red-ball series against South Africa A squad has triggered a controversy, with Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioning whether the Mumbai batter was not selected "because of his surname."
The 28-year-old's exclusion has also not gone down well with fans on social media, who have raised pertinent questions about what more he could do after consistently scoring heavily in domestic cricket in recent years and working hard to shed weight.
Sarfaraz Khan’s India A snub sparks political row between Congress and BJP
Sarfaraz had impressed with a solid 92 in his previous outing against the England Lions in Canterbury before an untimely injury sidelined him.
After regaining fitness, he made a confident return earlier this month, striking a half-century for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy to reaffirm his form. However, his efforts failed to sway the selectors, who once again left him out of the India A squad.
According to sources within the Indian board, there were specific reasons behind Sarfaraz's exclusion, as reported by NDTV.
"Sarfaraz was out with a quadriceps injury. He recently made a comeback and played the first round of the Ranji Trophy-that is the only competitive cricket he has played in a long time. The selectors will assess his form in the ongoing Ranji season before drafting him back into the India A set-up," the source told NDTV. "Hopefully, he will get his chances soon," the official added.
According to a PTI report, Sarfaraz's omission was primarily linked to Rishabh Pant's return to red-ball cricket. With Pant occupying the No. 5 position in the India A lineup, Sarfaraz was left without a slot in the middle order.
The report further suggested that Sarfaraz has been advised to move up the batting order and take on the No. 3 role for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy if he hopes to revive his chances of breaking into the national team.
Currently, the only unsettled position in the senior Indian side is the No. 3 spot, where B Sai Sudharsan is yet to deliver consistently enough to secure his place.
