For a job that is the dream of almost a billion Indians, breaking into the Indian cricket team remains one of the hardest tasks in world cricket. Rising through the ranks, navigating the various levels of selection, then impressing the team management one final time before earning that coveted debut cap — it is why a Test debut remains one of the most cherished moments in an Indian cricketer’s career.
What is even harder is retaining that place. The talent pool grows deeper by the day, while the age of social media means one poor series can quickly turn into a narrative about a player’s future. And once a cricketer is cast aside, staging a comeback can become a herculean task. Ask Karun Nair.
The senior batter spent almost a decade in the wilderness after his record-breaking 300 in Tests before earning an India comeback. But the return lasted only a few weeks before he was dropped again, underlining just how unforgiving international cricket can be.
Sarfaraz Khan knows that reality all too well.
He spent season after season grinding through domestic cricket before finally earning his maiden India call-up in 2024, the same year he made his Test debut. He played six Tests that year and impressed immediately, producing three half-centuries against England at home.
{{/usCountry}}He spent season after season grinding through domestic cricket before finally earning his maiden India call-up in 2024, the same year he made his Test debut. He played six Tests that year and impressed immediately, producing three half-centuries against England at home.
{{/usCountry}}Later that year, he went a step further, smashing a sensational 150 against New Zealand. It came during a series in which India were beaten 3-0 at home for the first time since 2012.
But the runs soon dried up. Sarfaraz followed that century with scores of 11, 9, 0 and 1 in his next four innings. Questions quickly followed. Could he survive against better attacks overseas? Could his game translate outside India? And with the Australia tour looming, was his place really secure?
Sarfaraz was still picked for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but he never got a game. He was subsequently left out of India's squad for the England tour last year.
The 28-year-old was back in the wilderness, with the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal increasingly entering the conversation for middle-order roles.
But Sarfaraz never gave up. He went back to the drawing board, starting with perhaps the most visible part of his transformation: his fitness.
How Sarfaraz Khan mounted his comeback
His father and coach, Naushad Khan, told HT more than a year ago that Sarfaraz underwent a drastic dietary overhaul after being left out of the England squad.
Roti, rice, sugar and bakery products were removed from his diet, replaced by grilled fish, chicken, boiled eggs, broccoli and green tea. Even the occasional biryani was taken off the menu.
The transformation initially resulted in a 10kg weight loss before eventually reaching 17kg. And the change was not merely cosmetic. Sarfaraz began stacking up runs again.
In the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 329 runs at a strike rate of [insert correct figure], including three fifties and his maiden T20 century.
He then produced another statement in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, smashing the fastest List A half-century by an Indian batter, off just 15 balls, before continuing his run in red-ball cricket.
In the Ranji Trophy, Sarfaraz hammered an unbeaten 277 — his fifth first-class double century. He finished as Mumbai's third-highest run-scorer in the 2025 season, scoring 429 runs in seven matches at an average of 53.62.
His first-class record remains even more striking. With an average of 64.73, Sarfaraz sits among the most prolific batters in the format among those with at least 50 innings.
The domestic consistency eventually translated into an IPL lifeline.
After going without an IPL contract for two successive seasons, Sarfaraz was picked up by Chennai Super Kings for INR 75 lakh. He made an immediate statement, smashing a stunning 25-ball 50 in his first appearance for the franchise.
But the domestic revival was only one part of the comeback story.
Sarfaraz's return to India's Test squad has also been aided by a wave of injuries. Sudharsan, who had emerged as a strong contender for the No.3 position, was ruled out after failing to recover from an injury sustained during the India A series against Sri Lanka. That reopened the door. And Sarfaraz, after spending so long trying to get back through it, has another chance to walk through.
The two-Test series against Sri Lanka begins on August 15 in Galle, with the second Test scheduled for August 23 at the SSC in Colombo.
Whether Sarfaraz makes the XI remains uncertain. India's batting combination in the warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI appeared to provide some clarity, particularly after Padikkal's unbeaten 142 at No.3. But if Sarfaraz gets his opportunity, he cannot afford to let it slip.