'Done Far Too Well To Be Left Out': Big-Ticket Indian Politician Backs Sarfaraz Khan

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Shashi Tharoor has urged Sarfaraz Khan's inclusion in India's Test squad vs England, highlighting the need for fresh talent post Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements.
Politician and author Shashi Tharoor has said that Sarfaraz Khan has done too well in the domestic circuit to be left out of India's main squad that will be playing against England in the upcoming five-match Test series, adding that India need new blood after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements.
Sarfaraz lost out in the middle-order race despite Kohli's recent retirement, leaving a vacancy in the batting order.
Sarfaraz had to remain content with a spot in the India A team instead. He made a huge statement after scoring 92 runs in the first unofficial Test against the England Lions in Canterbury.
'It's a tough call for any selector, but I must say that we all have our favourites who ought to be there. I think that young Sarfaraz has done far too well in the domestic circuit to be left out," Tharoor said while speaking to RevSportz.
'Given no opportunity in Australia, given one innings here where he made a big score in the nineties and then was not played again. Rumours are that he did very well in the warm-up match against the regular Indian side," Tharoor added.
On Saturday night, reports surfaced that Sarfaraz retired out on 101 during India's intra-squad game, which saw him feature for India A.
'Why do they leave out a player of this quality? It makes no sense. I think we should now give people a chance, we've lost the greats of Rohit and Virat one after the other, so we need to have fresh young blood for the next two years ahead, who have done well," Tharoor said.
Sarfaraz had to wait for a long time for his international debut, too. India kick off their new WTC cycle with the five-match away series, under the captaincy of newly-appointed skipper Shubman Gill.
India last played red-ball cricket in January, during the Sydney Test against Australia. Multiple cricketers in the current team, including Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan, will be featuring in their maiden Test series on English soil.
India are playing a four-day intra-squad warm-up match against India A in Beckenham, which started on Friday.
First Published:
June 15, 2025, 15:35 IST

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