Sarfaraz set to be picked for home Tests against Bangladesh: Report

Sarfaraz Khan has been phenomenal in the last two editions of the Ranji Trophy and is likely to be part of the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh in November, reported the Times of India on Friday (June 24).

The middle-order batter from Mumbai slammed 134 against Madhya Pradesh in the finale of the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 and has been scoring runs for fun in red-ball cricket. Interestingly, this is the first time he failed to convert his century into a 150-plus score in first-class cricket.

In the 2019-20 edition, Sarfaraz amassed 928 runs in nine innings at an average of 154.66. However, the 24-year-old has been even better in this season. The right-hander has slammed 937 runs in eight innings at an average of 133.85 and is more than 300 runs ahead of the second-highest run scorer. 

He became only the third batter after Ajay Sharma and Wasim Jaffer to score 900-plus runs twice in a Ranji season. Overall, Sarfaraz has smacked 2485 runs in 36 first-class innings, studded with eight centuries and seven fifties. Amongst batters who have scored more than 2000 runs in first-class cricket, Donald Bradman (95.14) is the only one with a better average than Sarfaraz.

"It's impossible to overlook him now. His performances are speaking about his huge ability, and putting pressure on many in the Indian team. He will be a certainty when the selectors pick the Indian team for the Bangladesh Test series. He did well for India A last year in South Arica and he's an excellent fielder," a reliable source in the BCCI told TOI.

At the end of day two, Sarfaraz was also seen talking to national selectors Sunil Joshi and Harvinder Singh. This is the first time I spoke to the selectors. I felt good after speaking to Joshi and Harvinder sir. They were saying that despite Chandu sir (MP coach Chandrakant Pandit) having blocked my sweep shot, I showed patience and didn't play that shot, was taking singles, and didn't come under pressure. They praised my knock," Sarfaraz said.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Sarfaraz is not too far away from breaking into the Indian Test set-up. “Because of the way he bats and you sort of wonder whether he’s a potential kind of Test player," said Manjrekar in a virtual interaction organised by Sony Sports while speaking about India’s upcoming T20I series against Ireland. 

"But the amount of runs he has got in two seasons; one is right about the daddy hundreds; he gets big scores and it comes very quickly at a great strike rate. Even if there is not a spot readily available as you want to try out the incumbents, like Shreyas Iyer has grabbed the opportunity as a Test batter by scoring runs.

"There’s absolutely no harm in getting Sarfaraz Khan closer to the Indian Test squad because when somebody performs this heavily at the Ranji Trophy level, it’s also to send a strong message that we care about Ranji Trophy cricket. 

"You care about first-class cricket and when you recognise performances of Ranji Trophy cricket and reward players with inclusion at the Test level, the international level, then you elevate the importance of Ranji Trophy cricket. He is very deserving to coming very close of Test squad selection."

(Image credit: PTI)