Chris Gayle slams Team India selectors for Ignoring Sarfaraz Khan despite strong domestic form

Chris Gayle has voiced strong disappointment over Sarfaraz Khan’s continued omission from India’s Test squad, insisting the Mumbai batter deserves a sustained opportunity to prove himself at the highest level. Despite stellar performances in domestic cricket and marked improvements in fitness, Sarfaraz was once again left out of India’s five-match Test series in England.

Sarfaraz was earlier included in India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia during late 2024 and early 2025 but did not feature in any of the five Tests. He made his Test debut against England in February 2024, impressively scoring two half-centuries in Rajkot, signalling his arrival on the international stage.

“I think he should be a part of the Test side. He even notched a century against New Zealand at home, yet he remains excluded. I recently came across a post mentioning his weight loss, but fitness was never an issue before, and he was performing well,” Gayle remarked during a recent appearance on a show.

Gayle pointed to Sarfaraz’s remarkable consistency in domestic cricket, criticising selectors for turning a blind eye to his prolific run-scoring and big innings. Sarfaraz recently posted back-to-back centuries in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament, playing against TNCA XI and Haryana.

“It’s unfair if his triple centuries in first-class cricket are held against him. That should never be a reason for exclusion. India has immense talent, but this young player deserves a fair shot,” Gayle added.

To date, Sarfaraz has amassed 371 runs across six Tests, averaging 37.10, including a century and three fifties. His last outing for India came against New Zealand in November 2024. Reports suggest Sarfaraz has lost 17 kilograms to further strengthen his case for a return to the national side.