Revealed: Reason behind Sarfaraz Khan’s snub from Indian squad for West Indies test series

Sarfaraz Khan last played for India in November 2024 against New Zealand.

On Tuesday, October 21, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for India A’s next unofficial test series against South Africa A, which will take place from October 30 to November 2 and November 6 to 9. Rishabh Pant will captain the team, but fans are looking for Sarfaraz Khan, who is still missing.

Notably, Khan has been in a curious situation, since the right-handed batsman, who is India’s contractual cricketer, has not played a single test since the home test series against New Zealand in 2024.

Sarfaraz is now a member of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad; nevertheless, his exclusion from the India A series has generated fears among fans that Khan would not be available for the forthcoming home tests against South Africa.

Reason revealed behind Sarfaraz’s absence from West Indies series

Sarfaraz Khan had suffered an injury after scoring 92 for India A on the England tour. Sarfaraz went on to shed weight and return to the Ranji Trophy, where he recently scored 74 runs for Mumbai. He did not, however, make the India A squad.

However, Sarfaraz Khan’s snub from the West Indies test series was a confusing one, leading to a huge debate on social media. However, according to recent sources from Express Sports, the squad was announced on September 25, and Khan did not acquire an NOC from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) until September 27.

“It’s learned that he was only included in that team (India A’s Tour Of England) because it was felt that his absence might raise uncomfortable questions, as he was a contracted player. It’s also been learned that a message was passed to the batsman that he will be considered for the home Test series.

“But Sarfaraz wasn’t selected for the two-Test series against West Indies at home because he wasn’t fully match-fit, and the Centre of Excellence (COE) had not cleared his fitness. The senior selection committee picked that team on September 25, while Sarfaraz cleared his fitness test on September 27,” the report from Indian Express remarked.

Sarfaraz Khan, 28, was left out of the India A squad on Tuesday for two four-day matches against South Africa A, putting his test career at a crossroads. The BCCI’s CoE in Bengaluru will host both the India A and South Africa A matches.

However, Sarfaraz’s exclusion from the India A team suggests that the Mumbai batsman is virtually guaranteed to miss the test series between India and South Africa, which begins on November 14.

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