Sarfaraz Khan Dropped From India's Squad For England Series: Justified Or Unfair?

Sarfaraz Khan after his century against New Zealand (Source:@ajeetkr03/X.com)

The much-awaited Indian squad for the England tour is finally out, and Shubman Gill has been named as the new Test captain. It is an 18-member unit, and there are quite a few changes from the squad that played in Australia. One of the notable omissions is Sarfaraz Khan. 

Sarfaraz Khan Omitted Without Giving A Chance To Fail?

The Mumbai batter was part of India's Test squad since the England series in early 2024, and it was expected that the selectors would persist with him after his decent showing in the limited opportunities he has got. The batter though has missed the cut for the England tour, raising questions about whether his omission is justified.

Starting with the stats, Sarfaraz Khan has played six Test matches for India. He started off with twin fifties in his debut Test and ended that maiden series with another half-century. The batter then smashed a brilliant 150 in the first Test against New Zealand, but this was followed by failures in the last two Tests. 

Sarfaraz Khan In Test Cricket

Those were just two failures, but they made a big impact in creating a negative impression of Sarfaraz Khan. He is known for his aggressive batting, but that can be a double-edged sword, and his dismissals in those final two Tests against the Kiwis raised questions over his ability to tackle difficult conditions in the red-ball game. Thus, he did not get a single game in Australia, and even Devdutt Padikkal, who was not in the original squad, played over him.

This clearly displayed the lack of trust the management has in Sarfaraz Khan's skills, and it has resulted in his omission from India's squad for England series. There is also a perception that Sarfaraz Khan's technique is not suitable for SENA countries, and he can be successful only in subcontinent conditions. The recent form shown by the likes of Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan also did not help his cause, and after a long wait for a Test debut, Sarfaraz Khan once again finds himself on the wrong side of the selection spectrum.

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Sarfaraz Khan In First-Class Cricket

However, selection just based on perception can be a dangerous route to travel. Sarfaraz Khan has been one of the most consistent batters in domestic cricket for many years now and has scored runs in different conditions at the first-class level. In 54 matches, the Mumbai batter has 4593 runs at an average of 65.61, which is more than all the other batters selected in the Indian team for the England tour.

Comparison Of First-Class Average Of Batters Selected For The England Tour With Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz Khan has also shown the ability to hit daddy hundreds and has excellent conversion rate. Both these qualities are quite rare among modern batters, especially in the generation that has grown with T20 cricket.

Is India Carrying An Extra Opening Option?

Karun Nair, who has been selected over Sarfaraz Khan, was superb in the last domestic season across formats. He scored 863 runs in nine matches, and based on his current form, there was a strong case to include him in the Indian team again. He has also played county cricket in recent times, which also played a factor in his inclusion. Sarfaraz Khan, though, has not done anything wrong in domestic cricket either. He played limited matches for Mumbai since 2024 due to international commitments and injury, but on one of those occasions when he did show up, he scored unbeaten double century in an Irani Trophy game.

If we consider that selectors wanted to use Karun Nair's experience of English conditions, then there was a case to keep Sarfaraz Khan in the team in place of one of the opening options. In the 18-member squad, there are four openers - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran. There is also Shubman Gill who started his Test career as an opener. Therefore, having a middle order batter, Sarfaraz Khan, in place of either Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran could have been a more logical selection.

Conclusion

Thus, Sarfaraz Khan's exclusion for the England tour seems like a decision taken more on instinct and the team management's perception. Sarfaraz Khan is a part of the A tour to England, and the only way a batter can change this perception is by scoring runs. So, it is time for a new 10 kg lighter, Sarfaraz Khan, to step up and make his bat do the talking for India A in conditions that are perceived to be hostile for him.

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