"Preposterous": Congress Leader Shama Mohamed Slammed Over Sarfaraz Khan 'Religion' Claim
Former India pacer Atul Wassan dismissed the communal insinuations behind Safaraz Khan's selection snub, calling them "preposterous".
- Sarfaraz Khan was omitted from the India A squad against South Africa A despite strong first-class form
- Congress leader Dr Shama Mohamed alleged Sarfaraz’s non-selection was due to his religion
- Former India cricketer Atul Wassan rejected communal bias claims, saying playing the religion card is unfair
The omission of Sarfaraz Khan from India A's squad for the upcoming South Africa tour has spiralled into a full-blown controversy -- one that has spilled far beyond the cricketing domain. Despite averaging a jaw-dropping 110.47 in first-class cricket over the last five years, with 10 hundreds and five fifties, Sarfaraz's name was conspicuously missing when the selectors announced the squad on Monday.
While fans expressed disbelief, the conversation took a political turn after Congress leader Dr. Shama Mohamed alleged that Sarfaraz's non-selection was linked to his religion.
"Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname! #justasking. We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter," Shama wrote on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting bias under head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname ! #justasking . We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) October 22, 2025
The post triggered a heated debate across social media, prompting responses from former players and insiders.
"Never Happened in Indian Cricket": Atul Wassan
Former India pacer Atul Wassan dismissed the communal insinuations, calling them "preposterous", adding that playing the religion card is "unfair".
"I think it is very sad. I agree that Sarfaraz has not been given the respect and the chances he deserves. But Congress' allegations are preposterous. This has never happened in Indian cricket. Time and again, we hear the religion card being played - even in Azhar's time. I do not believe it is because of any religious angle," told NDTV.
However, Wassan did underline that the Mumbai batter's selection journey has been frustratingly inconsistent.
"I don't think just current performances should be considered. There are many players doing well across formats. But once a player is picked, he must get a proper run - enough games to either fail completely or succeed. Sarfaraz hasn't been given that kind of chance," Wassan added.
"When someone like Rishabh Pant returns from injury and doesn't perform, he still can't be overlooked. Cricket has a certain lineage, timeline, and propriety that must be followed."
For now, Sarfaraz Khan remains on the sidelines - but with both selectors and former players acknowledging his talent, it might just be a matter of time before he's back in the blue.