Sarfaraz Khan takes just one match to send roaring message to Ajit Agarkar after Karun Nair messes up second chance

Right-handed batter Sarfaraz Khan is wasting no opportunity to send reminders to the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir. The out-of-favour India batter is scoring runs at will in domestic competitions and is almost breaking down the door when it comes to selection for the national team. Sarfaraz, who last played a Test for India in November 2024, smashed a century for Mumbai against TNCA XI on the opening day of the Buchi Babu Trophy tournament in Chennai. Sarfaraz Khan last played for India in the New Zealand Test series. (AFP)

Sarfaraz Khan came in to bat at No.5 for Mumbai on Monday. The 27-year-old brought up his century off just 92 balls. He also formed a stand of more than 100 runs for the sixth wicket with Aakash Parkar.

Sarfaraz Khan eventually retired hurt on 138 off 114 balls after facing a hamstring injury in the final session on Day 1.

Sarfaraz has been doing the grind when it comes to domestic cricket. The right-handed batter has also shed several kilos and is in the best shape of his life. The young batter was not picked in India's squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.

He also didn't get a game despite being in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The last of Sarfaraz's Tests came during New Zealand's tour of India. The batter scored a fantastic 150 in the second innings of the first Test in Bengaluru.

However, Sarfaraz's returns dwindled after this knock, registering just 21 runs in the subsequent four innings, and India were blanked 0-3 at home.

Also Read: Sarfaraz Khan's unique move to grab BCCI's, Ajit Agarkar's attention, make India comeback

Sarfaraz did make a trip to the UK earlier this year for the series between India A and England Lions. He played the first unofficial Test, scoring 92 runs in the first innings. However, he was dropped from the lineup for the second Test.

Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan fail to make a statement

In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan were tried at No.3 at different stages of the series. However, both batters failed to make the spot their own.

With both Karun and Sai Sudharsan not setting the stage on fire, Sarfaraz Khan has received a golden opportunity to get back into the scheme of things ahead of the upcoming home season, where India will take on West Indies and South Africa.

Karun Nair got back into the India squad after eight years on the back of strong domestic performances. Famously, way back in 2022, he had tweeted, "Dear cricket, give me another chance." However, he failed to make the most of his chances, scoring 205 runs in eight innings.

Returning to Sarfaraz, the right-hander has played 11 Tests so far, scoring 371 runs at an average of 37.10.

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