The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) recently announced the squad for India’s multi-format West Indies tour. The Test team announced by the Indian board included two new uncapped Indian batters in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, talented Mumbai cricketer Sarfaraz Khan was yet again overlooked by the Indian selectors as he didn’t find himself a place in the team.
It is worth mentioning that Sarfaraz has been in outstanding form and has put up consistent performances in domestic cricket over the last four years. The Mumbai batter’s exceptional run continued in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season as well, where he impressively scored 556 runs in six matches at an average of 92.66. This remarkable feat by the right-handed batter included three centuries. Meanwhile, he registered 982 runs in the previous season of the Ranji Trophy (2021-22) at a formidable average of 122.75. But despite his consistent success, Sarfaraz was once again left out by the Indian selectors for the upcoming Caribbean visit.
This decision to not pick Sarfaraz drew significant criticism from experts, and many veteran cricketers, such as legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Aakash Chopra, also slammed the Indian management over leaving out the 25-year-old from the squad.
Sarfaraz himself has now shared an Instagram story that seems to be a response to selectors after being snubbed. The story shared by Sarfaraz features a video showcasing his record in first-class cricket over the years and has gained considerable attention. The clip was supported by a motivational song that highlights the struggle and hard work.
Speaking of Sarfaraz’s performance in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, he played in four matches and scored only 53 runs for the Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise. On the contrary, Gaikwad and Jaiswal had a brilliant season and accumulated 590 and 625 runs for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), respectively.
