Former India captain hits out at Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir over Sarfaraz Khan snub across formats

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar did not hesitate to criticize the BCCI selectors for constantly ignoring Sarfaraz Khan, despite his impressive performance in domestic cricket and the valuable contributions he made when he was given the chance to represent India. Sarfaraz had to fight for his position every season and eventually earned his first Test call-up against England in 2023. However, he was removed from the squad after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, in which he did not play even a single match.

The Mumbai native has since dedicated himself to improving his fitness and has lost a considerable amount of weight to reach peak fitness, but he continues to be overlooked for India’s recent home test series against the West Indies and South Africa, leading to concerns about his selection strategy.

Sarfaraz participated in six Tests for India and amassed 371 runs at an average of 37.10, which included a century and three half-centuries.

Vengsarkar expressed his surprise at Sarfaraz’s transfer to India, highlighting his consistent performances both at home and abroad, including a key partnership with Devdutt Padikkal in the first series against England that contributed significantly to India’s Test victory.

Speaking to Times of India, Vengsarkar said, “You know, the thing is, it’s really puzzling to me why he doesn’t pick any format for India when he’s doing so consistently well, even for India when he gets the opportunity. I watched him and (Devdutt) Padikkal bat together against England in Dharamshala. It was a very important session. They batted beautifully and built an important partnership together, which ultimately helped India win the Test match.”

Mumbai’s star batsman made an explosive start to the current Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 220 runs in just three innings with a remarkable 157 from 75 balls against Goa.

Despite being part of the tour to Australia for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sarfaraz was not given even a single playing opportunity; The former BCCI chief selector was stunned that a player of his caliber and adaptability was overlooked by Ajit Agarkar and the selection committee across all formats.

“And after that (the home series against England) he didn’t get an opportunity (an opportunity to play another Test). Of course he was on the tour to Australia (2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy), but he was never given a chance and that really surprised me because he is a good enough player to play in all formats of the game. Such talent has been overlooked and neglected. It’s a real shame!” he said.

Sarfaraz went unsold in the two rounds of IPL auctions but was later signed by CSK for an impressive sum of ₹75 lakh. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 329 runs in seven matches, including a century, at a remarkable strike rate of 203.08.

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