The Indian fans were angry with the BCCI selectors for once again ignoring Sarfaraz Khan from the Test squad. The board revealed a 16-man squad for the first two Tests against England at home. The first Test match will be played from January 25 in Hyderabad and the second from February 2 in Vizag.
The squad didn’t feature Sarfaraz Khan’s name in it, while KL Rahul, who was the wicket-keeper in South Africa, is likely to don the role of a proper batter in the England series, and could nudge Shreyas Iyer for a place as India could opt to include KS Bharat, who would be a more trusted wicket-keeper on turning pitches, than Rahul. Uttar Pradesh wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel has got his maiden India call-up.
Sarfaraz Khan has one of the best first-class record of all-time. He averages 69.66 after 43 first-class games in which he scored 3692 runs, slamming 13 centuries. Sarfaraz’s current average of 69.66 is the fourth-highest first-class average of all-time across the world, for batters with a minimum of 2000 runs.
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He has been a prolific run-scorer in Ranji Trophy over the past three seasons. Yet, the 26-year-old Mumbai batsman doesn’t get picked up in the Indian team squad, although he has been named in the India A squad to face the England Lions for a first-class game from January 17, which means that he is in the scheme of things of the BCCI selectors.
Fans blasted the BCCI and the selectors and questioned them for not including Sarfaraz Khan for the England Test series:
India squad for first two Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan
Also Read: First Time Ever: BCCI Introduces ‘Player Of The Match Medal’ In Ranji Trophy 2024
