Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed disappointment over Sarfaraz Khan being left out of India’s Test squad for the upcoming home series against South Africa. The right-handed batter, who has been performing consistently in domestic cricket and has worked on his fitness, was surprisingly omitted when the squad was announced.

Speaking on his show Ash ki Baat, Ashwin said, “I cannot find an answer to Sarfaraz Khan’s non-selection. I am very sad and sorry for him. He has reduced his weight, has scored runs. I really feel sorry for him. This sort of non-selection leads him to think that he has been seen enough and is not wanted. Where will he perform? The doors have been shut.”

The spin legend also highlighted broader concerns regarding India’s selection policy. He pointed out how Sai Sudharsan, who has had a stellar IPL season, was picked ahead of Abhimanyu Easwaran, despite Easwaran’s strong performances in first-class cricket. Susharsan scored 759 runs in IPL 2025 and has already played five Tests, whereas Easwaran has amassed 8,025 runs with 27 hundreds in 106 first-class matches, yet is still waiting for his Test debut.

Ashwin highlights IPL vs domestic dilemma, advises Easwaran to use T20s for India call-up

“IPL has a lot of advantages and disadvantages. See the case of Sai Sudharsan. A fabulous player, but how did he leapfrog Abhimanyu Easwaran? Performance in a tournament for 2-3 months has overshadowed the performance Easwaran has put in over the first-class season. Rewarding domestic performers is always up to the selectors. This is happening only because that player has done well in the IPL,” Ashwin said.

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Building on this, Ashwin advised Easwaran to consider T20 cricket as a route to India selection. “If I was Easwaran, I would tell him to somehow find a way to play the T20 format and score 400 runs in an IPL season so that he can also come in. It is a sad state. Some stalwarts of red-ball cricket do not get enough recognition,” he added.

Easwaran, a right-handed batter, has played 34 T20s, scoring 976 runs at an average of 37.53 with a strike rate of 128.59, including one century and five half-centuries. However, he last featured in T20 cricket in 2023 and has not played in the IPL since then, focusing mainly on List-A and first-class formats.

Ashwin’s comments have sparked debate over balancing domestic cricket performance with IPL success when selecting players for India’s red-ball squad.

Mumbai middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan has been omitted from the India A squad for the upcoming four-day matches against South Africa A. Sarfaraz, a prolific domestic run-scorer who had performed well in first-class cricket and with the senior Indian Test team under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, has now been snubbed even from the unofficial Test tour games, raising eyebrows and fueling selection controversy among Indian cricket fans and experts.

Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has been left out of the India A team for the upcoming series against South Africa. Sarfaraz, who had performed well with the Indian Test team under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, has now been excluded even from the tour games, raising eyebrows among cricket fans.

The exclusion of Sarfaraz surprised many, as the Mumbai batter has been in decent form in his recent outings. In his last two first-class matches, he scored 92 against England Lions and 42 and 32 against Jammu & Kashmir, performances that many believed should have earned him a spot in the India A squad.

Sarfaraz was earlier dropped from the Indian Test side after a disappointing home series against New Zealand. Despite a brilliant 150 in the opening Test in Bengaluru, he struggled in the remainder of the series, leading to his omission from the team.

Selection Committee Explains Sarfaraz Snub

Ajit Agarkar, BCCI chief of the national selection committee, explained the earlier Test omission ahead of the England tour, noting that Karun Nair had overtaken Sarfaraz after a strong Ranji Trophy season.

After Nair’s brief tenure ended post-England series, cricket fans expected Sarfaraz Khan’s Test return, but a national team call-back never materialized. Agarkar also cited a quadriceps injury, stating the Mumbai batter was not in contention for selection due to fitness issues.

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Despite playing in the first round of the Ranji Trophy season, Sarfaraz Khan was not included in the India A squad announced for the upcoming South Africa series.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant returned to first-class red-ball cricket after a long injury layoff and will captain the India A side. The South Africa National Cricket Team will tour India in November for a two-match Test series, and ahead of that, they will play two crucial warm-up games against the India A team as part of their pre-series preparations.

India A squad for the 1st four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N. Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain.

India A squad for the 2nd four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faced an unusual mix-up on the first day of the Ranji Trophy 2025 season. The confusion arose when Mumbai’s well-known batter Sarfaraz Khan was mistaken for his younger brother, Musheer Khan. The error left fans and officials amused and surprised alike.

The incident occurred during the team announcements and match previews, where social media and official communications highlighted Musheer instead of Sarfaraz. Cricket enthusiasts quickly noticed the discrepancy, sparking discussions online about the mix-up. Despite the confusion, both players took the situation in good humor, sharing light-hearted reactions on their social media handles.

While such errors are rare in professional cricket, the BCCI acknowledged the mistake and ensured the correct player details were updated promptly. The mix-up became one of the most talked-about moments of the Ranji Trophy’s opening day.

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BCCI  Faces an Unusual Mix-Up on the First Day of the Ranji Trophy 2025:

The confusion unfolded during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy opener against Jammu & Kashmir at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. The BCCI’s official scorecard mistakenly showed Sarfaraz Khan opening the innings and getting out for a duck. Fans and media quickly noticed, causing an online stir before it was clarified that it was actually Musheer Khan.

In truth, it was not Sarfaraz Khan who was dismissed but his younger brother, Musheer Khan, who opened the innings for Mumbai. The mix-up caused confusion since Sarfaraz is a recognized middle-order batter, typically featuring at No. 4 or No. 5, and is currently in contention for an India Test call-up.

Fans were taken aback to see Sarfaraz listed as an opener, leading to speculation that Mumbai might be experimenting with their batting order. The misunderstanding was later cleared up once it was confirmed that the dismissal belonged to Musheer, not Sarfaraz.

After the mix-up was noticed, officials promptly corrected the scorecard. However, by that time, the report of “Sarfaraz out for a duck” had already circulated widely on social media, sparking confusion among fans before the clarification arrived.

Since the match wasn’t being streamed live, several fans believed that the experienced Mumbai batter had been dismissed for a duck. By the time the correction appeared, Sarfaraz was already trending online for an error not of his own making.

For Mumbai supporters, it marked an unusual beginning to their domestic campaign. Meanwhile, the BCCI was left with a reminder that even in the age of digital scorekeeping, human errors can still make their way onto the scoreboard.

Prithvi Shaw, a former Indian Test batter, was involved in a heated argument with some Mumbai players and Musheer Khan after being dismissed just short of a double-century in a Ranji Trophy warm-up match. The 25-year-old cricketer from Mumbai has previously done well early in his career, in particular during the U19 World Cup. Shaw has also played five Test matches for India, scoring his maiden hundred in the second innings of his debut match.

Shaw has scored nearly 4,500 runs in first-class cricket, playing more than 58 matches for Mumbai in domestic cricket. He has 13 centuries to his name, with his highest score being 379. However, after some inconsistent performances, Shaw was left out of the Mumbai squad for the season. He then moved to the Maharashtra team for the 2025-26 domestic season.

Since joining Maharashtra, Shaw has made a strong start. In a warm-up match against his former team Mumbai, he scored a brilliant hundred on Day 1. After being dismissed by Musheer Khan, who bowls part-time off-spin and is the brother of Sarfaraz Khan, Shaw got into a heated argument with him and some Mumbai players. The umpire had to intervene and split the players apart, taking Shaw to the changeroom to prevent further issues.

Strong Partnership and Season Plans

Shaw opened the innings with Arshin Kulkarni, and the two put on a massive opening partnership, totaling 305 runs. Kulkarni scored an impressive 186 off 140 balls, while Shaw made 116 off 159 balls. Kulkarni was dismissed in the 50th over, and Shaw added another 65 runs before being out for 181 off 219 balls.

Watch the video here

Heated exchange between Prithvi Shaw and Mumbai players after his wicket! pic.twitter.com/l9vi1YgeYs

— INSANE (@1120_insane) October 7, 2025

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Meanwhile, Maharashtra would start their 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season against Kerala on October 15, and then play Chandigarh. They would then play Saurashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh. Shaw would look to test himself with the Indian selectors, hoping to regain his national team place from where he was dropped. Once tipped to be the future of Indian cricket, Shaw is eager to prove that he has not lost his touch to excel at the top level.

Sarfaraz Khan has been out due to a quadriceps injury he got while scoring a century against Haryana in the Buchi Babu tournament earlier this month. He is now working hard at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to get back to full fitness. Reports say he might be ready by September 29, which could give the selectors a tough choice. The Indian Test squad for the two-match series against West Indies will be announced on Wednesday, September 24. Fans are eager to see if Sarfaraz makes it.

Sarfaraz Khan Could Be Fit by September 29, May Play in West Indies Test Series

The 26-year-old batter has scored 371 runs in 11 innings this year at an average of 37.10 and a strike rate close to 75. His best performance was a brilliant 150 against New Zealand, showing his skill, aggression, and temperament. His chances have improved after Shreyas Iyer decided to take a break from red-ball cricket due to fitness problems, leaving room for other players.

🚨 GOOD NEWS FOR TEAM INDIA 🚨

Sarfaraz Khan is likely to be fit by September 29th, might be available for the selection for West Indies Test series. [Devendra Pandey] pic.twitter.com/tZa09jmyDq

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 24, 2025

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Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar will announce the squad at 7:30 PM IST, either before the India-Bangladesh Super Four match or during the innings break at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

 Test career stats

Team India's ODI captain, Rohit Sharma, recently practiced with middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan in Bengaluru as he prepares for the Men in Blue's three-match away ODI series. Sharma, who is now active only in the ODI format, announced his Test retirement during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). In 2024, the 38-year-old announced his retirement from T20Is, right after winning the T20 World Cup with India.

Sarfaraz shared glimpses of the training session on Instagram on Tuesday, September 16, offering fans an inside look at his preparation alongside the senior opener. The talented batter was part of India’s squad for the three-match home Test series against New Zealand last year, scoring 171 runs across six innings at an average of 28.50. However, he was not picked for the subsequent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.

Ahead of the series, Sarfaraz played a 92-run knock for India A in the first unofficial Test against England Lions. India A will play three one-dayers against Australia A beginning September 30. Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should have been part of these games to maintain match readiness.

Chopra on Senior Stars Skipping India A Series

Chopra suggested that the selectors likely approached Sharma and Kohli, but they would have declined to participate. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Neither Rohit nor Kohli is playing. Of course, it's the India A matches against Australia A, and under normal circumstances, we would say it doesn't make a difference as Rohit and Kohli wouldn't play. However, if you see when was the last time they played competitive cricket, Kohli last played in the IPL final and Rohit Sharma played even before that."

One of the strengths of #RohitSharma as a leader - his bond with Youngsters

He is practicing with Mumbai Youngsters Sarfaraz Khan & Ayush Mhatre....

Important season ahead for 3 of them....#IndianCricket @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/wnBnf1o1Ag

— alekhaNikun (@nikun28) September 16, 2025

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He added, "I am sure the selectors would have asked them and they would have refused. Why am I saying that the selectors would have asked them? Considering the team that has been picked, it has even been tried to include the Asia Cup players so that some form stays with them and they keep playing competitive games." Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to tour Australia for the three-match ODI series, with the first contest scheduled in Perth on October 19.

Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli’s relationship over the years has grown a lot, especially during the days when they used to share the same dressing room in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But the former has dropped a shocking revelation on choosing his favorite Indian cricketer.

The former left-handed batter opening batter has picked Sarfaraz Khan as his favorite Indian cricketer and put his weight behind the former RCB and PBKS team-mate to make his comeback in the Test squad. Gayle reckoned that he saw Sarfaraz’s transformation on social media and pointed out his first-class record to slam the selectors.

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“Sarfaraz Khan - I mean, he should be on the Test side. He should be in the Test squad at least, you know, scored a century at home, not in the squad. I saw a post a couple of days ago. He lost weight. The weight wasn’t even; nothing was wrong with his weight or anything.” Gayle expressed during a recent interaction on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show.

Chris Gayle picks Sarfaraz Khan as his favorite Indian cricketer

Sarfaraz, who has smashed over 4500 runs in 83 first-class innings at an average of nearly 66 and a strike rate of more than 70 with 15 half-centuries and 16 centuries, has featured in 11 Test innings to club 371 runs with the best score of 150 in Bengaluru.

The middle-order batter featured in the three-match home series against New Zealand before being omitted from the away red-ball squad for Australia in the BGT 2024-25 and against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in the UK. He has also not been named in the India-A squad to take on Australia due to his quadriceps injury during the Buchi Babu Tournament.

“Sarfaraz is just fine. He was still scoring runs - The man scored triple centuries in first-class cricket. So if they’re using that against him, that’s sad, you know. They should never use that against him. That youngster should have been a part of the squad 100%.” The former West Indies veteran batter concluded.

There is a big blow for an Indian cricketer, who is dreaming of his national team comeback during the upcoming home Test series against West Indies, which is just a month away from beginning. 

The 27-year-old Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan is battling with quadricep injury, as he has been ruled out of the Duleep Trophy 2025/26. He selected to serve for the defending champions West Zone, who will begin the tournament from the Semi-final against the Central Zone on September 4. 

However, Sarfaraz Khan has been ruled out due to a quadricep injury, which he sustained in the recent Buchi Babu tournament. In that competition, the right-handed batter slammed two centuries, 138 runs off 114 balls against TNCA XI, and then a run-a-ball 111 against Haryana.

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Sarfaraz Khan set to be out for almost three weeks

After his exclusion from the Test squad for the recently concluded England tour, where India drew 2-2 the five-match Test series (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025), Sarfaraz is desperate for his Test return. But his latest injury is likely to keep him out of the game for almost three weeks. 

A source told TOI, "Sarfaraz is suffering from a quadriceps injury, which he picked up while scoring a century against Haryana in the Buchi Babu event five days ago. He's set to be out for almost three weeks, and is currently rehabilitating at the CoE." 

Sarfaraz Khan played six Tests

In early October, the West Indies will tour India for a two-match Test series, a part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship. Ahmedabad and Delhi will host the matches from October 2 and 10, respectively. So, Sarfaraz is going through a tight timeline to prove himself fit before the West Indies Test series.

In his six Tests, after making his Test debut during the 2024 Rajkot Test against England, Sarfaraz has scored 371 runs in 11 innings with an average of 37.10, including one century and three half-centuries. While he started his Test career with two 60s on his Test debut, after scoring 150 against New Zealand in the 2024 Bengaluru Test, his next scores were 11, 9, 0, and 1 runs, respectively. 

The invitational red-ball tournament, called the Buchi Babu Trophy, has reached its third round for the 2025 season of the event. For several years, it served as a great opportunity for the players to get the best platform to polish themselves before the Duleep Trophy and the domestic season of the tournament. A few players didn’t participate in the first day after the third day clashes with the start of the Duleep Trophy 2025.

Prithvi Shaw, who smashed a fine century during the first round of the tournament for Maharashtra, didn’t turn up for the game. However, there were a few stars like Sarfaraz Khan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, both of whom celebrated their respective centuries to keep the best form before the domestic red-ball season.

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Musheer Khan got another start, but the promising batter failed to convert it into a huge score. After his scores of 30 and nine in the first round, opening the batting, he fell for another 30 against Haryana in the third round. Gaikwad fell for 133 while Sarfaraz finished with the respective knock of 111 runs.

Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 Round 3: All Scores from Day 1

The all-rounder of the Hyderabad side, Rohith Rayudu, picked up a five-wicket haul. His fine figures of 5/44 were instrumental in bowling out Madhya Pradesh for 181 runs in the first innings on the opening day of the third round. Bengal bowled out the TNCA XI for 203 runs in the first innings, on Rahul Prasad’s 5/44. Bengal lost four wickets as Abhishek Porel walked out to bat at number six.

The Kolkata Knight Riders pacer, Umran Malik, who couldn’t play the last IPL due to injury, turned up for Jammu Kashmir and picked up two wickets in his fiery spell of nine overs. Ashwin Kulkani, the seam-bowling all-rounder from Maharashtra, who played the U19 World Cup 2024, also celebrated a century.

Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 Round 3: All Scores from Day 1

TNCA President's XI 266 vs Chhatisgarh 4-0
TNCA XI 203 vs Bengal 58-4
Mumbai 346-9 vs Haryana
Indian Railways 184 vs Baroda 76-3
Madhya Pradesh 181 vs Hyderabad 155-1
Jharkhand 366-8 vs Punjab
Odisha CA 314 vs Jammu & Kashmir
Maharashtra 440 vs Himachal Pradesh

The middle-order batter of the Indian side, Sarfaraz Khan, has continued to send a strong message to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors before the upcoming home Test season against the West Indies and South Africa. He was dropped from the national side since last year’s home red-ball series against New Zealand.

Sarfaraz, during the first round of the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 in the invitational tournament in Tamil Nadu, celebrated a fine century as the selection committee would look to plan the best batter for their number three or six after Karun Nair struggled during the away five-match England Test trip with inconsistent performances.

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Playing for Mumbai against Haryana during the Buchi Babu tournament, Sarfaraz Khan displayed his crazy performance with the bat. The right-handed batter was on 79 with several boundaries at run-a-ball before he cracked a huge six to celebrate a century in the third round of the tournament in just 99 deliveries. Sarfaraz will now come into contention for selection in the home Test season.

Watch: Sarfaraz Khan celebrates fabulous century for Mumbai during Buchi Babu Trophy 2025

Sarfaraz Khan has smashed 371 runs in six innings of the red-ball format at an average of 37.10 and a strike rate of 74.94, with the help of three half-centuries and one century at the best score of 150 runs against the Blackcaps during the opening Test of the series at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Sarfaraz has overall clubbed 4685 runs in 83 innings of First-class cricket at an average of 65.98 and a strike rate of more than 70, scoring 16 centuries and 15 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 301 runs. It would be really important for the batter to gain momentum before the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025, which starts on August 28 in Bengaluru, and the following Ranji Trophy 2025.

Apart from Sarfaraz Khan, the number three batter of the Maharashtra side, Ruturaj Gaikwad, got back to form with a fine century against Himachal Pradesh as he looked to get back in rhythm after missing the last few months and the biggest chunk of the IPL due to a wrist injury.