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Sarfaraz Khan keeps scoring runs, BCCI keeps ignoring him - Why performances are not enough for a call up
The BCCI's omission of Sarfaraz Khan from the India A squad for the South Africa A series sparked debate.
The BCCI recently announced India A squads for the South Africa A series. The omission of Sarfaraz Khan was the biggest surprise, and that triggered an immediate debate. The batter has shown brilliant form in the domestic circuit for quite some time and also earned a place in the Test squad because of that. But instead of getting a good runway at the highest level, he has been ignored from the national side in the last few series. Now, his exclusion from the India A side is a setback for the middle-order batter.
Elite numbers in Ranji across three seasons
Sarfaraz’s last three Ranji Trophy campaigns form a sustained productivity arc -
- 2021-22: 9 Innings, 982 Runs at an average of 122.75
2022-23: 9 Innings, 556 runs at 92.66
2023-24: 5 Innings, 200 runs at an average of 50.00
The 2021-22 and the 2022-23 seasons, at an average of 122.75 and 92.66, are campaign-defining outputs. Even in a truncated 2023-24, his average of 50 signals elite performance. Among batters with 2,000-plus Ranji runs, Sarfaraz’s career average of 82.76 ranks third behind Vijay Merchant and Sachin Tendulkar.
Recent brilliance
Recent form carries further weight, and Sarfaraz delivered emphatically. In August 2025, he delivered an elite performance in the Buchi Babu tournament. In the first match against TNCA XI, Sarfaraz walked in when the team was struggling at 98/3. He scored 138 runs from 114 balls before leaving with cramps.
In the next match against Haryana, he walked out when the team was struggling at 84/4. Once more, he delivered under pressure, scoring 111 runs off 112 balls. These two knocks show the nerve of the batter and his ability to stay in his element even when the game is going against them.
The batter kept his form going even in the unofficial Test against the England Lions. In Canterbury, he scored 92 runs off 119 deliveries, showing that he is able to adapt even in foreign conditions.
A look at the recent red-ball performances of the player and the exclusion of Sarfaraz seems absurd. Reports claim that the inclusion of Rishabh Pant in the side resulted in Sarfaraz not getting selected. Pant is a genuine match-winner for India; however, the exclusion of Sarfaraz to include is still not justified.
