Ajit Agarkar defends ignoring Sarfaraz Khan for “experienced” Karun Nair in the ENG vs. IND 2025 match.

Ajit Agarkar, the head of the selection committee for the Board of Control for Cricket in India, discussed the rationale for Sarfaraz Khan’s absence from India’s 18-man team for the forthcoming five-match series against England. It was expected that Sarfaraz, who last played for the country in the home series against New Zealand last year, would be included in the middle-order.

Karun Nair’s like-for-like substitution was credited by Ajit Agarkar to his improved performances and red ball experience. He said that Sarfaraz’s dismissal was a decision made by the team’s management and expressed hope that Karun might replace the recently retired Virat Kohli.

“You just need to make wise choices sometimes. I am aware that Sarfaraz scored a hundred runs in the first Test match (150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru) but failed to score any more. It can occasionally be the choices made by the team management. Karun currently has a tonne of domestic run totals, some Test cricket experience, and some county cricket experience. It’s obvious that we lack some experience without Virat.

At the Mumbai press conference, Ajit Agarkar said, “We thought his experience could help.”

It was recently revealed that Sarfaraz was working hard with Naushad Khan, his father-turned-coach. Along with improving Sarfaraz’s health, the two had been putting a lot of effort into his batting technique. With a rigorous diet of boiled veggies and chicken, the child was said to have lost an incredible 10 kg of body weight. The All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee has overlooked him for the journey to the UK, despite the fact that he spent several hours every day training on addressing deliveries that were delivered outside the off stump.

After being absent from the team for more than eight years, Karun Nair was shortlisted for a Test match for the first time. March 2017 was the final time he wore the Indian whites. The selection committee probably took him into consideration because of his tremendous performance in the domestic cricket arena during the last two years.