Will Sarfaraz Khan be able to make a comeback into Indian team?

Sarfaraz Khan is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to return to the Indian team. Though his last appearance for India came in November 2024, the Mumbai batter has since transformed both his fitness and form, making a compelling case through sheer weight of runs in domestic cricket.

The right-hander has been in imperious touch across formats, hammering scores of 157, 55 and 62 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before producing a monumental 227 against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. Those performances have only intensified the pressure on the national selectors, with Sarfaraz knocking louder than ever on the doors of an India recall.

Behind this resurgence lies encouragement from several quarters, most notably former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Azharuddin, who spent time observing and interacting with Sarfaraz, expressed his satisfaction at seeing the youngster rediscover his best form. Sarfaraz recently revealed that Azharuddin had helped him work on handling reverse swing, even mentioning that he waited nearly 45 minutes just to meet the former skipper after his commitments.

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Azharuddin, however, was quick to deflect praise. “Ultimately, he went out there and scored the runs himself. All the credit should go to him,” Azharuddin said. “I’m grateful he mentioned my name, but that wasn’t necessary. My happiness comes from seeing him succeed. That, for me, is the greatest reward.”

The former captain also highlighted Sarfaraz’s aggressive mindset at the crease. “He’s the kind of player who can change the course of a match very quickly. He doesn’t like bowlers dictating terms. As a batter, you must score runs—if you let quality bowlers dominate you, you’re already in trouble. I’m not sure about the exact pitch conditions, but if the ball was swinging with uneven bounce, then scoring at that pace really shows his class,” Azharuddin noted.

Sarfaraz’s international career began promisingly during the 2024 home Test series against England. He impressed straight away with a fluent 62 on debut, followed by 68 in the second innings, and added another half-century in Dharamsala. His standout performance came later in Bengaluru, where he smashed a career-best 150 against New Zealand, despite India ending up on the losing side. Although he travelled with the Test squad to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he didn’t get a game and was subsequently omitted from the England tour, with a recall still pending.

What stood out to Azharuddin was Sarfaraz’s relentless hunger to improve. Drawing parallels with his own career, Azhar recalled how he once benefited from the guidance of Pakistan legend Zaheer Abbas during a difficult phase. Impressed by Sarfaraz’s attitude, he urged the current BCCI selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkar, to give the batter another opportunity.