IND vs BAN: Two Reasons Why Sarfaraz Khan Will Not Play in the 1st Test Against Bangladesh
Sarfaraz Khan has been named in the first Test against Bangladesh.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh on Sunday, September 8.
Virat Kohli, who missed the five-match Test series against England earlier this year, makes a comeback to the squad alongside Rishabh Pant, who will be returning to the Test setup after more than a year.
On the other hand, some bold decisions have also been made, with Shreyas Iyer being dropped from the team. Additionally, Sarfaraz Khan has been given another chance after his impressive debut for India earlier this year.
However, while Sarfaraz Khan has been named in India’s squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, it is unlikely that he will play in this match for two reasons.
Let’s explore why Sarfaraz Khan might miss the first Test against Bangladesh:
- Sarfaraz Khan has been named in India A’s squad for Round 2 of the Duleep Trophy 2024, which means he will be unavailable for the first Test match. In the Duleep Trophy 2024, he represented India B and scored nine runs in the first innings and 46 in the second innings of the opening game against India A.
- The BCCI has faith in KL Rahul, the experienced batsman who plays with composure. Rahul’s consistent performance and past success are valued over Sarfaraz Khan’s aggressive playing style, which can sometimes backfire.
“For people on the outside, they don’t understand how a team works and what systems are in place. In his last three Test matches, KL scored a century in South Africa, one of the best Test knocks in recent times, and 86 at Hyderabad in his last Test before injury. He was not dropped but was injured. Now, he is fit and available, having scored a fifty in the Duleep Trophy, got match time, and he will start,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Wire.
Meanwhile the first Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played from September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium.