'He scored 3 fifties and a 100 but...': Karun Nair blamed for Sarfaraz Khan, Shreyas Iyer's India Test omissions

When the India A team takes on the England Lions starting today at Canterbury, Sarfaraz Khan will have a point to prove to the selectors who dropped him from India's senior Test squad. He and Shreyas Iyer were the two notable omissions as chairman of the BCCI's selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, unveiled India's 18-member squad that will tour England to play five Tests, beginning June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. Did Sarfaraz Khan, left, and Shreyas Iyer, right, pay the price for the buzz around Karun Nair?(AFP Images)

No one, barring the selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir, is aware of the nuances behind the decision-making, more so because with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements, two slots are up for grabs. Iyer and Sarfaraz, both of whom played for India as recently as last year, were supposed to be automatic picks, but clearly, the selection committee thought otherwise and went in a different direction. Karun Nair was recalled after a gap of eight years, and Sai Sudharsan earned his maiden Test call-up, leaving Sarfaraz and Iyer in the dark.

Also Read: 'He doesn't select; only rejects'; Gambhir gets smashing reply for saying 'Main selector nahi hu' on Shreyas Iyer's snub

However, one factor that could have led to their undoing, reckons former India pacer Atul Wassan, is a perception that neither can play well in England. Sarfaraz is yet to play a Test match for India overseas – he has only featured in six Tests since his emotional debut last year – whereas Iyer has played three Tests in SENA nations, scoring 75 runs. So yeah, while there is no guarantee that Sudharsan and Nair will succeed, it was guaranteed that Sarfaraz and Iyer wouldn't have, believes Wassan.

"Sarfaraz made three fifties and a hundred but did not get a single chance in Australia, and it's some sort of perception that the player won't perform. Similarly, Shreyas Iyer did not get selected because some believe he hasn't done good in red-ball cricket. And also, the buzz is around Karun Nair. Sometimes, the team goes with the inner feeling and forecasts a particular player's performance based on that," he said on the 12th episode of the Bails and Banter show on OTTPlay.

How Sarfaraz Khan, Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair have fared over the last one year

Sarfaraz made an immediate impact on debut, smashing 62 incredible runs against England. However, just when he looked set for a century, a miscommunication with Ravindra Jadeja led to his run out. He didn't stop there, though. Sarfaraz followed his fifty with another half-century in the next innings – 68 not out as India won the Rajkot Test by 434 runs and eventually the series 4-1. Sarfaraz hit another fifty a couple of Tests later, and followed up with a maiden hundred, belting 150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru. His efforts, however, went in vain as India lost the series to New Zealand, getting whitewashed 0-3. Sarfaraz was picked for the tour of Australia, but as Wassan pointed out, he remained benched.

Shreyas' last Test for India is also from the series against England, although a back injury ruled him out of the final three matches. He has since gone through a lot, getting stripped off the BCCI's Central Contracts list and making a grand comeback to play a crucial role in India's Champions Trophy win. Having said that, Iyer is yet to claw back into the Test format.

Nair, in fact, is the one to have made all the right noises. With 863 runs from nine matches in the Ranji Trophy and another 779 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Nair not only caught the selectors' attention but broke the door down to finally make his 'Dear Cricket' wish come true.

Click here to read article