Sunil Gavaskar sends ‘Karun Nair’ message to snubbed Sarfaraz Khan: ‘That’s why the selectors had to bring him back’

On Saturday, Indian cricket ushered in a new era as the BCCI named Shubman Gill the Test captain for the upcoming five-match series in England. The decision follows Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket, with Virat Kohli also stepping away from the format recently. Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain, signalling a fresh leadership dynamic for the Test team. However, the squad announcement also sparked discussion with notable omissions, including Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Shami, and Sarfaraz Khan.

Sunil Gavaskar used Karun Nair as an example, while giving advice to Sarfaraz Khan.

Shreyas Iyer’s struggles against short-pitched deliveries likely contributed to his exclusion from the England tour, while Mohammed Shami’s ongoing injury concerns ruled him out. This leaves Sarfaraz’s omission as a puzzling question mark. In February, Sarfaraz made a memorable Test debut for India, delivering a dynamic 69. A costly mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja denied him a century, but he seized his next opportunity with conviction.

When New Zealand toured India and handed the hosts a 3-0 whitewash, bright spots were scarce, but Sarfaraz shone, scoring a career-best 150 in the series opener in Kanpur. Despite earning a spot in the squad for the five-Test series in Australia, he remained on the sidelines, failing to secure a game. What could be the reason behind his omission?

Sunil Gavaskar weighs in on selection decisions

In a conversation with India Today, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar offered valuable advice to Sarfaraz Khan, encouraging him to draw inspiration from players like Jaydev Unadkat and Karun Nair. Nair, who earned a spot in the Indian squad due to his stellar domestic performances, last represented India in 2017.

“Even Jaydev played his first Test at a very young age, and then it took 13 years or so to play another Test. He persevered, he went on picking wickets in domestic cricket. Like Unadkat, Karun has kept on scoring big hundreds. That’s why the selection committee had to bring him back. A man in form is one of your best bets. He is scoring runs, he also got the experience of County Championships. A very good call to bring him back to Indian cricket,” he said.

Sarfaraz recently made headlines for his remarkable weight loss journey, shedding 10 kilos to address criticism about his fitness. The 27-year-old adopted a disciplined diet, swapping red meat and his beloved biryani for healthier options like avocados. Despite this dedication, missing out on a Test team call-up could be disheartening, but Gavaskar encouraged Sarfaraz to stay resilient, offering guidance on how to secure a permanent spot in India’s Test XI.

“It’s tough, that’s what cricket is all about. When you get opportunities, you have to make sure the place is yours. Even if you score a hundred, you should make sure that you don’t go into your next innings thinking you scored a hundred in the previous knock. You have to get your eye in and get those runs again. You must not give anybody a chance to push you out of the team,” added Gavaskar.

“It’s entirely up to you to ensure you cement that spot. You need to keep knocking on the doors and break the doors down. I think it’s a tough call because after the tour of Australia, there was no red-ball cricket. Yes, there was the Ranji Trophy, but he was injured. So, he didn’t play. There was no way he could show what his form was. You have to be undroppable. We have seen in the past, if a team loses a series, the guys who are 13th, 14th, 15th in the squad get dropped. You have to take your chances.”

Sarfaraz scored twin half-centuries in his debut Test and notched his maiden hundred in Bengaluru as India battled a huge deficit. He ave and didn’t feature in Australia at all. Defending the selection decision, chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that it was a team management decision, hinting that it was made by Gautam Gambhir and his staff.

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