The upcoming Ranji Trophy campaign for Mumbai batsman Sarfaraz Khan got off to a bad start as he was removed for just one run against Chhattisgarh at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The innings ended in disappointment, as many had anticipated that it would be his response to the recent India A snub.
His exclusion from India The South Africa series team attracted a lot of attention, with many people showing their support for the cricket player. Many thought that, considering his impressive red-ball statistics for Mumbai, the middle-order batsman had done enough to merit at least a position in the India A setup.
Sarfaraz Khan faced just six balls on a surface that gave the bowlers bounce and movement before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate. He mistimed a lofted attempt over the onside and found Shashank Singh in the deep. The Mumbai batsman was supposed to lead the innings but died early. He had scored 42 and 32 in the last game against Jammu and Kashmir.
Sarfaraz Khan has Shardul Thakur’s support.
Prior to this match, Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur publicly defended Sarfaraz Khan, saying the batter doesn’t need India A games to demonstrate his skills.
The India A team now looks at boys that they wish to train for international cricket. To play international cricket, Sarfaraz does not require India A matches. “He can immediately go and play a Test series too if he starts scoring again,” Shardul had stated, as cited by NDTV.
Selectors never consider a certain faith or the community: MSK Prasad
Additionally, MSK Prasad, the former chairman of the national selection committee, advised that the 27-year-old could want to reevaluate his batting stance. Since all-rounders typically occupy the middle-order spots in the Indian team, stepping up to No. 3 in Mumbai’s lineup would improve his prospects. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed even accused the selection committee and coach Gautam Gambhir of prejudice for his omission. Such assertions were refuted by previous head selector MSK Prasad, who said that performance—not background—is the only factor considered in selections.
“It will never take place. You don’t usually discuss communities, regionalism, or other topics when a player is chosen, therefore forget about Sarfaraz Khan when the child was chosen. However, why do these things only surface when someone is dropped? We are all aware of Sarfaraz Khan’s remarkable performance, which includes his success in domestic cricket. It’s possible that the selectors would come forward for a purpose. In an India A game, I don’t think Sarfaraz Khan will be benched.
There needs to be a good reason, and it might be any cause, but let the selectors state it clearly. However, I think that regionalism and communalism alone should never be used as an excuse to remove a player. I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered such a situation, as we never consider the community or a certain faith while making our choices. Only a player’s performance is taken into account. Prasad stated, “And if someone is thinking along those lines, they are incorrect and have no understanding of Indian cricket.”
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