There was no place for the ever-consistent middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the India A squads for the two matches against South Africa A on Tuesday. Rishabh Pant, recovering from a fractured foot sustained during the Manchester Test earlier this year, was named the captain of the India A team, with Sai Sudharsan being his deputy. The likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Mhatre, Rajat Patidar, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, etc., were picked by the selection committee, but Sarfaraz was surprisingly snubbed.
Sarfaraz's omission from the red-ball India A team is quite baffling, considering he played well in the England tour for the India A team, scoring 92 runs in the first unofficial match. An injury forced him out of the team, but the middle-order batter used that time to improve his fitness.
Sarfaraz went on to lose considerable weight and returned to the Ranji Trophy, where he recently produced a 74-run knock for Mumbai. Yet, there was no place for him in the India A squad.
Here's how fans reacted to BCCI's snub of Sarfaraz Khan on social media:
Mohammed Shami, another India star who is striving hard to make a comeback to the national team, didn't find a place in the Indian team for the red-ball assignment too.
Rishabh Pant to Captain India A Team
The fit-again Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, has been named the India A captain for the red-ball matches against South Africa A. KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, and Dhruv Jurel will join the squad after the conclusion of the three-match ODI series against Australia in the second match. N. Jagadeesan is the second wicketkeeper choice in the squad, while Rajat Patidar has also been added to the squad after his double century in the first match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy against Punjab.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep will also join the squad for the second match.
India's batting line-up includes Ayush Mhatre, Devdutt Padikkal, and Ayush Badoni. The squad also included three all-rounders: Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, and Manav Suthar. Anshul Kamboj and Yash Thakur will lead the pace attack in the first match, while Saransh Jain will lead the spin department.
With ANI Inputs