Dilip Vengsarkar on Sarfaraz Khan’s non-selection in Indian team: ‘It’s really baffling for me…’

Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan in action. (FILE photo)

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar said he was baffled that India has not been picking Sarfaraz Khan in any format. The right-hander altough has piled on runs in domestic cricket, has not been in contention for the Indian side. In the ongoing Vijay-Hazare trophy, he is in sublime form, and in Mumbai’s recent game against Goa, he amassed 150 runs in quick time.

“You know, the thing is, it’s really baffling for me why he’s not picked in any format for India when he has done so well consistently, even for India when he got an opportunity. I watched him and (Devdutt) Padikkal batting together against England in Dharamshala. It was a crucial session. They batted beautifully and forged an important partnership, which ultimately helped India win the Test match,” Vengsarkar told The Times of India,” Vengsarkar said to Times of India.

“And after that home series against England, he didn’t get another opportunity to play a Test. Of course, he was on the tour of Australia for the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but he wasn’t given a chance at all, and that really baffles me because he’s a good enough player to play in all formats of the game. Such a talent has been ignored and neglected. It’s a real shame,” Vengsarkar said.

The Indian Express earlier reported that, fundamentally, there seems to be a disbelief over his talent. That he somehow can’t play international cricket with his game, and he isn’t given a chance to succeed or fail. Even after good performances against England and New Zealand. The scales against him keep shifting. First it was about his prowess against international quality bowling, and when he performed, it shifted to the argument that he can’t be a success overseas.

It was deemed he wouldn’t be a success in England, and India chose to take Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan. Days before the Test series in England started, Sarfaraz slammed 92 against England Lions in Canterbury for India A. He followed it up with an unbeaten 102 in an intrasquad game, hitting Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.