Suryakumar instead of Sarfaraz in Tests: Experts, fans disappointed

Mumbai: The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the team for the two tests against Australia, in which the board included Suryakumar Yadav (Sky) and Ishan Kishan. But, choosing a T20I expert, Sky, over Sarfaraz Khan has irked fans as well as experts, and both expressed their disappointments, NDTV reported.

BCCI has also announced the squad for the white-ball series against New Zealand. The board included Prithvi Shaw in the T20I series, and fans heartily welcomed it. Shaw had created a stir with his gigantic knock of 379 in the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament. The batter has surpassed multiple records with that single innings, NDTV reports.

Going back to Sarfaraz, in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy, he scored 982 runs at an average of 122.75. This includes four centuries and two half-centuries, while his biggest score was 275. In the current tournament, also he scored a total of 431 runs so far with an average of 1078.75 at a strike rate of 70.54 with two centuries and one half-century.

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra expressed his disappointment saying that Indian selectors should have rewarded Sarfaraz for his performance by adding him to the team.

On his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Sarfaraz feels cheated. If it was needed to select Sky, it meant there was an opening, and Sarfaraz should have gotten that chance. Sarfraz's first-class average is 80, while only Don Bradman has an average of more than 80, Aakash said. "So he has done everything in his power to be in the Indian team. I am a little disappointed that if you had a chance to select even one guy because both Surya and Sarfaraz don't come in the XI, Sarfaraz had the right, in my opinion. If someone's domestic season is going so good, you should have rewarded him," NDTV quoted him.

India squad for first two Tests vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.