Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticized the Indian selectors for omitting Sarfaraz Khan from the Test team, despite his impressive performances in domestic cricket. Sarfaraz was left out of the squad for the England Test series after not getting a chance to play in Australia.
Tharoor expressed his dismay over Sarfaraz’s continuous exclusion from the Test team, highlighting his exceptional track record in international cricket. Sarfaraz has a noteworthy record in first-class cricket, averaging over 65, with notable performances in Test matches, including a half-century on debut and a century against a strong Indian Test team in a practice match.
Having amassed 371 runs in six Test matches at an average of 37.10, with one century and three fifties, Sarfaraz also boasts an impressive first-class record with 4760 runs from 57 matches at an average of 64.32, including 16 hundreds and 15 fifties.
Tharoor commended Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, and Karun Nair for their exceptional form in domestic cricket, emphasizing the significance of their performances compared to the IPL. He stressed the importance of valuing runs in domestic cricket over potential, citing the consistency and proven talent of these players.
Rahane’s standout 159 in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy fixture against Chhattisgarh, Karun Nair’s impressive innings of 73 and 174* in the initial matches, and Prithvi Shaw’s record-breaking double century in the Elite Group of the Ranji Trophy were highlighted as examples of the players excelling in domestic cricket. Shaw’s achievement of reaching a double hundred in just 141 balls placed him second on the all-time list, behind Ravi Shastri’s 123-ball record from 1984/85.