Follow UsFormer India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his disappointment over Sarfaraz Khan’s omission from the India A squad for the upcoming two-match red-ball series against South Africa A, starting October 30 (Thursday).
The 28-year-old Mumbai batter, who has represented India in six Tests and scored 371 runs at an average of 37.10, was left out despite a strong domestic record and a stunning century in his last series vs New Zealand. His exclusion has once again raised questions about the selectors’ approach and the clarity of communication with players.
Sarfaraz, who struck a brilliant 150 against New Zealand in a home series where most Indian batters struggled, has consistently piled on runs in domestic cricket. Yet, he didn't get to play in Australia and England, with reports suggesting that the selectors doubt his technique in overseas conditions.
However, the numbers tell a different story. Sarfaraz scored 92 in his only innings for India A against the England Lions in Canterbury, and has averaged a staggering 110.47 in first-class cricket over the last five years, with 10 hundreds and 5 fifties. He has also undergone a major fitness transformation, shedding nearly 17 kilos to meet the team’s standards.
Despite clearing his fitness test on September 27 - two days after reports claimed he had failed it - Sarfaraz’s name was missing not just from India’s Test squad for the West Indies series but now also from the India A setup. His continued absence, despite recent domestic appearances, has left many baffled.
Ashwin empathised with Sarfaraz, saying the batter might feel like the door has already been shut for him.
“When I examine Sarfaraz's non-selection, I don't receive any explanation. I am very sad and feel sorry for him. Had I been the selector, what would I have called him up and said? He has reduced his weight, and he has been scoring runs; he also scored a century in his last Test series. And this sort of non-selection leads me to think that someone must have been thinking that we have seen enough of him, and we no longer want him, so we don't want to go in that direction,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“If I were Sarfaraz Khan, that is what I would be thinking. He has been dropped from the India A side. It's literally like the door has been shut. Where will he perform? Now, if he performs well in first-class cricket, they will say he is very good only for first-class cricket. So he won't get picked for India A now. Where will he go and prove his credentials? Where will he show that he has improved? So, such non-selection feels like someone's decision, whether from the management side or the selection side, that we are no longer looking at him.”
Reports suggest that the selectors and team management now want Sarfaraz to bat in the top order for Mumbai if he hopes to make a comeback. India’s middle order appears packed with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, leaving the No.3 slot as the only potential opening. Sai Sudharsan currently occupies that position but is yet to make it his own.
Ashwin also criticised the inconsistency between communication and selection. “The problem is that your communication and selection should match. I remember Subramaniam Badrinath used to play for the India A team and was the captain as well for a long time, but did not get selected. The same happened to Manoj Tiwary. The communication that went through was that 'we have seen enough of you, and now we want to take a look at fresh faces. So you won't be playing for the India A team anymore, but if we need you in the Indian team, we will pick you,” he said.
“But if you look at the current India A side, there is a little bit of confusion. If you say we have seen enough of Sarfaraz in India A, and only if we need him will we pick him in the Indian side, then that will be wrong. Because you picked Abhimanyu Easwaran, and he has played enough for India A. However, barring these cases, the rest are all futuristic - Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar.”
Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan came to the defence of head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, urging patience and trust in their long-term plans. “Selectors and the coach [management] will always have a plan. Sometimes it might look wrong in the fans’ eyes, but please don’t twist things or create narratives that aren’t even close to the truth,” he wrote on X.
India are set to host South Africa for two home Tests next month, but unless Sarfaraz produces something extraordinary in the Ranji Trophy, his road back to the national side looks increasingly uncertain.