Published
By Pawan Atri · 4 min read
Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has taken a sly dig at the Indian selectors after he was not named in India’s squad for the Australia Tests next month.
After Chetan Sharma and company snubbed him yet again, Sarfaraz Khan shared a post on Instagram stories that featured his record in first-class cricket.
The statistics posted on social media showed that Sarfaraz Khan’s average in domestic cricket was second to only the legendary Don Bradman, who’s widely regarded as the greatest batter ever.
Instead of Sarfaraz Khan, white-ball specialist Suryakumar Yadav was included in the 17-member side announced by the BCCI on Friday.
Notably, Sarfaraz Khan has been scoring heavily in the domestic circle, with his numbers in the Ranji Trophy being exemplary, to say the least.
During the last Ranji season, Sarfaraz Khan made 982 runs with four tons and two fifties at an astounding average of 122.75. His highest score in the 2021-22 season was 275. In the ongoing essay of the tournament, he has already collected 801 runs at a highly impressive average of 89.
Overall, Sarfaraz Khan has scored 3,380 runs in 36 first-class matches at an excellent average of 80.47. Since making his debut in 2014, the middle-order batter has hit 12 hundreds and nine half-centuries, including the highest score of 301 in the competition for Mumbai.
On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav’s first-class record stands in the pale shadow of Sarfaraz Khan. Though the India white-ball specialist has amassed 5,549 with 14 tons and 28 fifties, his average is not that impressive.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra went as far as to say that Sarfaraz Khan has been “cheated on” by the Indian selectors as he has been ignored despite consistently posting stupendous numbers in the domestic circuit.
“There was a bit of an opening in the Test squad…was hoping that Sarfaraz will make it to the squad. He’s done everything that one could do to deserve a call-up,” Aakash Chopra wrote on Twitter.
“Sarfaraz’s name is still not there. He feels he got cheated because his name should probably have come. Bumrah is still not there. That’s another news but I am more concerned that Sarfaraz is not there. When you picked Surya, it means a slot had opened up. In my opinion, Sarfaraz should have gotten that chance because Sarfaraz’s first-class average is 80. Apart from him, only Don Bradman has an average of 80 or more in the number of matches he has played,” Aakash Chopra added on his YouTube channel.
“So he has done everything in his powers to be in the Indian team. I am a little disappointed, that if you had a chance to select even one guy, because both Surya and Sarfaraz don’t come in the XI, Sarfaraz had the right in my opinion. If someone’s domestic season is going so good, you should have rewarded him,” he remarked.
Among others who were left stunned by the Indian selectors’ move were noted commentator Harsha Bhogle, ex-cricketer Dodda Ganesh and a battery of his fans.
“Very hard on Sarfaraz Khan who has literally broken the door down in first class cricket. You can’t do more than he has,” Harsha Bhogle wrote on the highly influential messaging app.
“Spare a thought for Sarfaraz khan. I don’t understand what else he needs to do to get into the test team,” Dodda Ganesh tweeted.
“If Surya Kumar Yadav can get picked to the Indian Test squad based on his recent T20I performances, then WHY not Sarfaraz Khan on his recent first-class performances in domestic games?” cricket statistician Mohandas Menon commented.
·
·
·
“No Sarfaraz Khan in India’s Test squad is quite baffling. Not sure how Surya Kumar Yadav got in there ahead of him. Surely, you can’t pick a player in Test cricket on his T20 form,” an Indian cricket admirer said.
“On the one hand, Mr. Roger Binny says Ranji performance will be the only criteria for selection and on the other hand, Chetan Sharma and his cohort keep on ignoring Sarfaraz Khan. Shame! Give the lad a chance for God’s sake,” a second remarked.
“Selecting Suryakumar Yadav ahead of Sarfaraz Khan in Tests is an insult to Ranji Trophy. That guy has been one of the most consistent run-getters in First Class cricket and deserved that call-up more than anyone. Baffling selection by this committee, yet again,” a third declared.
“As much as I love Suryakumar Yadav, his selection in the Test squad over Sarfaraz Khan leaves a sour taste. Make no mistake, Surya in whites is a super batter but Sarfaraz with that sort of record in Ranji Trophy deserved a call-up,” a fourth noted.
India squad for first two Tests vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Copyright © ClutchPoints.
