Former India star opens up on Sarfaraz Khan not having IPL 2024 contract

Former India batsman Aakash Chopra acknowledged that he is not too much surprised with promising batsman Sarfaraz Khan not getting a contract in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I am personally not that surprised, or I would say that I am as surprised as I am with the fact that Pat Cummins got 20.50 crore rupees. Recently bias is a very important thing. If the auction had been tomorrow, he would have got a contract,” said Chopra during a recent interaction.

Chopra was of the opinion that the diminutive Mumbai middle order batsman had failed to impress in the last eight sessions of the cash-rich league.

“The auction should be dependent on how you have played in the last five to seven years in that format and in that tournament. Sarfaraz had a contract since he was 18 years old. He has played for two or three franchises,” said Chopra.

“Let’s be honest, he has not got those many opportunities. However, we were not surprised when no one picked him in the auction and that is why there was no discussion as well at that time. Now we are definitely talking about him, that he plays this or that, but he is doing that here, just like Pat Cummins had won the World Cup. However, Australia have not made him the T20I captain after he won the World Cup. It’s a separate story that Daniel Vettori had kept 20.50 crore rupees aside for him,” he added.