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Sarfaraz Khan waited for years to wear India’s Test jersey. When that dream finally came true, the Mumbaikar made the most of the opportunity and convinced everyone that he was ready to become India’s next middle-order star in Test cricket.
The Mumbai batsman had been knocking at the door of selectors for a long time with his consistently remarkable performances in domestic cricket and when he finally got his chance against England on home soil, he made an immediate impact.
The dream start of Sarfaraz Khan’s Test career ended with a sudden shock.
The right-handed batsman scored two fighting fifties in his debut Test and won praise from cricket experts around the world. A few months later, he got another chance in the home Test series against New Zealand.
And he once again won everyone’s hearts by scoring his first Test century. His brilliant innings of 150 runs in Bengaluru showed that he has the ability to play long innings even under pressure. But after that memorable innings, Sarfaraz could score only 21 runs in his next four innings.
Although his overall record was still impressive, he is now out of the national team. Sarfaraz lost his place in the Indian cricket team after playing only 6 Tests following a poor performance against New Zealand.
“You can’t take any place for granted”: Dilip Vengsarkar tells Sarfaraz Khan
Now former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar has shared his honest opinion on the situation of Sarfaraz Khan. He believes that young batsmen have the talent to succeed, but international cricket demands more than just scoring runs.
PTI quoted Vengsarkar as saying, “I was really impressed by Sarfaraz Khan and Devdutt Padikkal in the India-England Test match in Dharamshala a few years ago. They had an excellent partnership at a very crucial stage of the Test match. They showed excellent temperament and excellent technique.”
The former Indian chief selector has said that every player has to stay fit and keep performing as no one’s place in the team is permanent. He said, “Sarfaraz is a good player. There is no question about that. But you cannot take any place for granted and you have to be fit all the time.”
When Sarfaraz Khan’s trip to India takes a painful turn
Sarfaraz last played a Test in 2024 during India’s tour of New Zealand. He scored 171 runs in six innings of that series. It was a tough time for the entire Indian batting line-up, as even the experienced players failed to perform and India suffered a rare defeat on home soil.
Even after that, Sarfaraz traveled with the Indian team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia during the 2024-25 season. Many fans expected him to get at least a chance in the five-match Test series, but he spent the entire tour on the bench and did not play a single match.
Many things came to light from the dressing room on that tour and the support staff indirectly accused Sarfaraz of leaking information. Since then, the middle-order batsman has not been selected for the Indian Test team. Now, the talented Mumbai batsman will once again have to score big in domestic cricket and wait for another chance to represent his country in white.
