Chris Gayle criticises the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan from India’s Test squad

Chris Gayle has expressed disappointment over Sarfaraz Khan‘s ongoing exclusion from India’s Test squad. The seasoned opener feels that the Mumbai batter should be given a consistent run to prove his worth.

Despite showing excellent form in domestic cricket and improving his fitness, Sarfaraz was left out of India’s squad for the recent five-match Test series in England. Earlier, he was part of India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in late 2024 and early 2025, but he didn’t get the chance to play in any of the five Tests. Sarfaraz made his Test debut against England in February 2024, scoring twin half-centuries in Rajkot, signalling his arrival.

“I believe he deserves a place in the Test team. He even scored a century against New Zealand at home, but he’s not included. I recently saw a post showing he lost some weight, but there was nothing wrong with his fitness before, either. He was doing just fine and still scoring runs,” Gayle said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.

Gayle highlighted Sarfaraz’s impressive track record in domestic cricket and criticised the selectors for overlooking his consistent run-making spree, particularly his ability to score big. Recently, Sarfaraz scored consecutive centuries in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament against TNCA XI and Haryana.

“He has scored triple hundreds in first-class cricket, and if that’s being used against him, it’s really unfair. That should never be a reason to ignore him. India has so much talent, but this youngster deserves a chance,” he added.

Sarfaraz Khan has scored 371 runs in six Tests, averaging 37.10, with three fifties and a century. His last appearance for India was against New Zealand in November 2024.

Reports indicate Sarfaraz has shed 17 kilograms to boost his comeback chances.

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