Sarfaraz says his job is to keep scoring runs despite selection uncertainty

Mumbai: Middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan on Monday claimed that the Indian team was looking at his services more for Test matches in home conditions, even though he was yet to receive a clear indication from the team management about his role.

Sarfaraz, who made his debut in February 2024, has so far played all six Test matches of his career at home. The right-hander was part of the India squad that toured Sri Lanka recently as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan but was never included in the playing XI.

The 29-year-old last played for India in a Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in 2024.

“No selector said this in particular, but when I was with the Indian team, I only heard that they are looking at me more for Indian conditions,” Sarfaraz told reporters here after the first day’s play of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Railways.

The Mumbai batter, who scored 55 off 100 balls against Railways, said he found his non-inclusion in squads for overseas tours perplexing.

Sarfaraz cited his centuries in intra-squad matches in South Africa and England to underline his argument.

“But still I have a question that when I went to South Africa, I made a hundred against the Indian team from 60 balls (off 63 balls) and when I went to England and I scored hundred runs in 60 balls (101 off 76 balls),” he said.

Sarfaraz scored a 63-ball hundred for India A against the senior Indian team in Pretoria ahead of the 2023-24 tour. A year later, he made a 76-ball hundred for India A at the Kent County Ground in Beckenham ahead of a five-match Test series.

However, he was not selected for either of those two senior tours.

“So, it’s not that I have not scored runs outside (of India). I have scored runs. It’s alright, it’s their lookout, it’s their perspective. My job is to play cricket,” he said.

The aggressive batter’s last four Test innings, however, produced scores of 11, 9, 0 and 1 against New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai in 2024, eventually leading to his exclusion from the team.

He pointed to the difficulty of adjusting to spin-friendly pitches after spending time abroad as a factor in his performance during that series.

“When you come back to India to play on big rank turners… yes, you get to the Indian team after so much struggle in domestic cricket, but suddenly you would not be able to perform on such difficult wickets,” he added.