Because Sarfaraz is Khan? Congress's Shama Mohamed jabs Gambhir in selection row

Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohamed on Wednesday accused head coach Gautam Gambhir of religious bias, criticising the non-selection of Sarfaraz Khan for senior national team assignments. The selection committee’s decision to omit Sarfaraz from the India A squad on Tuesday reignited debate over the alleged unfair treatment of one of domestic cricket’s most consistent performers, with many questioning whether the prolific Mumbai batter is now even being considered for the second-string side.

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Mohamed took to X and questioned if Sarfaraz wasn't being selected because of his surname. The Congress leader's comments came after Sarfaraz was not picked for India A squad that will take on a visiting South African team in October-November in Bengaluru.

"Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname ! #justasking . We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter," said Mohamed on X, referring to Gambhir's stint in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sarfaraz last played for India during the home series against New Zealand in November 2024 and didn't get a chance to play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

He wasn't selected for the England tour, despite undergoing a physical transformation and wasn't considered for the home series against the West Indies. Fans were left shocked when the Mumbai batter wasn't even part of the India A team for the series against South Africa A.

This is not the first time Shama Mohamed has stirred controversy with her views on cricket. Earlier this year, the Congress leader faced backlash for her comments on Rohit Sharma, calling him "fat for a sportsperson" and the "most unimpressive" captain in India's history.

On Tuesday, Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) questioned why Sarfaraz was not even picked for India A team despite his consistent performances in domestic cricket.

Speaking to India Today on Wednesday, AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan said: "When a man is averaging so much, there's definitely more to it. Why hasn't he been picked?"

Sarfaraz, who made his Test debut after a long wait, has scored 371 runs in six Tests at an average of nearly 40. He scored a hundred (150) in his last series for India against New Zealand last year.

'NO NEED TO POLITICISE THIS'

Meanwhile, Mohsin Raza, former Minorities Welfare Minister of the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh, lashed out at critics, urging them not to politicise selection calls in Indian cricket.

"No need to politicise this. Playing with cricketers' future, these so-called Muslim leaders. Shami plays, Siraj plays. This is unfair," he told India Today.

Chairman of the senior selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, cited injury concerns when explaining the omission of Sarfaraz Khan from the home series against the West Indies last month. The Mumbai batter had missed both the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup due to a quadriceps injury.

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However, his repeated exclusion from the Test squads for the tours of Australia and England earlier this year raised eyebrows. Sarfaraz had travelled with the India A teams on both tours but never broke into the senior Test side. Notably, he struck a composed 92 against the England Lions in Canterbury, silencing critics with a solid performance in pace- and bounce-friendly English conditions.

More questions were asked when India handed a recall to Karun Nair, selecting the senior Karnataka batter ahead of Sarfaraz for the five-Test series in England. Sarfaraz had worked hard on his fitness ahead of that tour, reportedly shedding around 10 kilograms in preparation.

"Sometimes you just have to make good decisions. Sarfaraz, I know he got a 100 in the first Test (against New Zealand) and then didn't get runs. Sometimes these are decisions the team management takes. At the moment, Karun has scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket, has played a bit of Test cricket, played a bit of county cricket. With Virat not there, clearly we're lacking a bit of experience. We felt his experience could help," Agarkar had said before the England tour.

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Even after India dropped Nair following a quiet tour of England, Sarfaraz was not recalled.

Sarfaraz will look to make his mark in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. He began the season with a quiet show against Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month after having returned to competitive action with a hundred in Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Tamil Nadu. With an average of 65.19 per innings across 56 matches in first-class cricket, Sarfaraz will, no doubt, keep himself in the mix.

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