For years now, Sarfaraz Khan’s name has been the biggest mystery in Indian cricket. Every season, the Mumbai batter keeps piling up runs, keeps breaking records, keeps waiting, but the India call-up never comes. The latest twist? Even after scoring 92 in his last India A game in England, Sarfaraz has been dropped from the very next India A series.
Numbers Don’t Lie
You can debate a lot of things in cricket, but not Sarfaraz’s numbers. The right-hander has amassed 4,759 first-class runs at an average of over 65, one of the best in India’s domestic circuit. Those are stats you simply cannot look away from. In any other era, a player with such consistency would be a Test regular by now.
Reports earlier this year suggested that Sarfaraz had been assured of consideration for the home Test series. But when the squad for the West Indies Tests was announced, his name was missing again. That’s when the murmurs about fitness began.
Fitness Done, But Doors Still Closed
Selectors reportedly advised him to work on his fitness, and to his credit, Sarfaraz did exactly that. He worked on his conditioning, shed close to 17 kilograms, and looked leaner and quicker in the field. Yet, nothing changed. No call-up. No mention. Just more waiting.
The Selection Roadblock
So, what’s holding him back? Sources close to the selection setup say the real issue lies with the batting order. India’s top order is pretty much sealed - the openers and No.4 slot are locked in. That leaves No.3 and No.5 as the only open slots.
At No.3, selectors are grooming Sai Sudharsan, who is also part of the India A squad that will tour South Africa. As for No.5, that’s the position Rishabh Pant is expected to reclaim when he returns for the two 4-day games against South Africa A.
The bigger concern is that Sarfaraz usually bats at No.5 or 6 for Mumbai - slots that Team India now prefers to fill with all-rounders. That combination gives balance and flexibility, something the selectors value heavily.
The Harsh Truth
No matter how many runs he scores, Sarfaraz Khan seems trapped by the structure of modern Indian cricket - a system that prizes fitness, fielding, and flexibility as much as runs. Until a middle-order vacancy opens up, India’s unluckiest run machine might have to keep waiting.
