Forget the past: Kaif's big message on Sarfaraz Khan's Test return

Sarfaraz was recalled to India's Test squad for the Sri Lanka series as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan, ending a prolonged period away from the national set-up. His absence also led to speculation over the reasons behind his continued exclusion.

The claim was widely reported but remained an allegation. Indian cricket should not suffer because of it.

What Happened

Take decisions that ensure the Indian team keeps winning, keeps progressing and keeps moving forward in a dominant manner. Sarfaraz's case was made stronger by his continued domestic returns.

• The 28-year-old last played a Test against New Zealand in November 2024, when he followed up his maiden Test century in Bengaluru with a 150 in the second innings of the Pune Test.

• He was subsequently part of India's squad for the 2024-25 tour of Australia but did not play a Test.

• He was then picked for the India A tour of England in 2025, scoring 92 in the first-class match against the England Lions, but did not make the senior squad for the five-Test series.

Key Details

For Kaif, Sarfaraz's numbers make the prolonged uncertainty over his selection difficult to explain purely through performance. He (Sarfaraz Khan) didn't get consistent opportunities in the team and was even dropped without any explanation.

• In January 2025, speculation was rife that Sarfaraz was named during a BCCI review meeting in connection with alleged leaks of dressing-room conversations from the Australia tour.

• He scored 429 runs in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, while his overall first-class record remains exceptional: 5,114 runs at an average of 64.73, including 17 hundreds.

• Sarfaraz has played only six Tests so far, scoring 371 runs at an average of 37.10, with one century and three fifties.

Why It Matters

All these things led to rumours and raised several questions: Why isn't Sarfaraz Khan's name coming up? There must have been some reason why he wasn't played earlier.

• He scored runs against New Zealand, including that 150-run innings, and was playing well and was in form.

• Obviously, it wasn't because he wasn't scoring runs or because his bat wasn't working.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge