The recent squad announcement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies has sparked debates and surprises. Following the team’s loss in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, changes were expected, and veteran batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was the first casualty. Despite Pujara’s outstanding performance in the County Championship for two consecutive seasons, his lackluster returns in Test cricket led to his exclusion.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan, the leading run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy for the past two seasons, continued to be overlooked, raising questions about the significance of first-class cricket and the growing influence of the Indian Premier League (IPL) even in red-ball cricket. Sarfaraz boasts an impressive average of 79.65 in first-class cricket, with an average of 92.8 since 2021. His prolific performances in the Ranji Trophy, including numerous centuries, make a strong case for his inclusion in the Test team.
However, due to his underwhelming IPL stint with the Delhi Capitals, Sarfaraz must continue to shine in domestic red-ball matches to keep knocking on the doors of selection. In response to his continued exclusion, Sarfaraz shared a cryptic post on his Instagram story. Accompanied by a picture of a practice pitch, he captioned it with “One love.” The backdrop featured the title track of the Bollywood film ‘Lakshya,’ whose lyrics convey a message of determination and resilience, emphasizing the need to achieve one’s goals regardless of the obstacles faced.
“One love,” Sarfaraz captioned the post of the pitch where he was seemingly practicing with the title track of the Bollywood film ‘Lakshya’ in the backdrop whose lyrics went like ‘roke tujhko andhiyaan, kya zameen or aasmaan, payega jo lakshya hai tera. Lakshya toh har haal mein paana hai (Not even earth, sky or storm can stop you, you will achieve your goal and it has to be done at any cost).’
Sarfaraz Khan, currently part of the West Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, remains dedicated to his craft, putting in the hard work to prove his worth. As he strives to make a comeback to the national Test team, Sarfaraz’s post reflects his unwavering determination to overcome challenges and fulfill his aspirations, echoing the lyrics of the song playing in the background.
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The omission of Sarfaraz Khan despite his exceptional domestic record has ignited discussions about the selection process and the role of IPL performances in shaping Test team selections. As fans eagerly await the team’s performance in the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, the spotlight remains on players like Sarfaraz, who continue to work towards realizing their ambitions.
India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini
