MUMBAI — Sarfaraz Khan, the prolific Mumbai middle-order batter, has played six Test matches for India — all at home venues — and yet his place in the side remains far from secure. Despite averaging 37.10 across those Tests and a domestic record that reads 5,354 runs at 63.73 in 66 first-class matches, the 29-year-old finds himself on the periphery of the national set-up.
The most recent chapter unfolded at Brabourne Stadium, where Sarfaraz was back in Ranji Trophy action against Railways. After Mumbai lost three quick wickets, he dug in alongside Siddhesh Lad and battled his way to a half-century. It was a familiar scene: Sarfaraz applying the same routine that has defined his career.
"Every morning, when I wake up, I ask myself the same question: why should I work even harder? I have already played for India. But I still wake up at five in the morning and go through the same routine," Sarfaraz said.
The answer, he suggested, lies with the selection committee. Sarfaraz has scored heavily across conditions. He pointed to hundreds in India A intra-squad matches in South Africa — a 63-ball 100 at Pretoria — and England — a 76-ball 101 at Beckenham. Both performances, he said, went unheeded when the selectors named squads for those senior tours.
"No selector said this in particular, but when I was with the Indian team, I only heard that they are looking at me more for the Indian conditions," Sarfaraz said. "But I have a question: I scored hundreds in 60 balls in South Africa and in England. It isn't that I haven't scored away from home."
Sarfaraz's last appearance in India whites came against New Zealand in 2024, where he managed only 11, 9, 0 and 1 in four innings across Pune and Mumbai. The experience of returning to Indian pitches — described by Sarfaraz as "big rank turners" — after spending time abroad, he said, suddenly made him difficult to perform with.
"When you come back to India to play on big rank turners… yes, you get to the Indian team after so much struggle in domestic cricket, but suddenly you would not be able to perform on such difficult wickets," he said.
The weight of expectation — and the physical transformation Sarfaraz has undertaken — also featured in the conversation. He shed 22kg after hearing comments about his weight on social media and from within the setup. He joked that he used to score more heavily when heavier, but said the fitness work had not taken the fight out of his batting.
"In reality, my weight was on the higher side. Earlier I had lost 10kgs. Now I have lost 22kgs. I have lost 12kgs more. My footwork is going well. I worked hard in the off-season," he said.
The motivation, Sarfaraz said, comes from his father, Naushad Khan, who has been his sole supporter throughout the journey.
"Everyone knows I don't have support in life. If anyone has supported me, it's my father. Nobody else. I worked hard and fulfilled my father's dream. I have scored big hundreds to get there. It is not easy to play for India in today's generation," he said.
Sarfaraz was included in the India squad for the Sri Lanka tour as a replacement for injured Sai Sudharsan but did not feature in the playing XI. He was also part of the squad that toured Australia but again could not break into the eleven.
"If they call me up I will go and play (for India). If they do not call me up, I will play here," he said, referring to Ranji Trophy cricket.
The cricketer, who turned 29 last month, maintains his perspective: "The only motivation is that I have to play cricket. I do not like to sit at home in the off-season. Wherever I would get an opportunity, be it Ranji Trophy, or IPL, or Indian team, I just want to play cricket."
Sarfaraz's next opportunity will come in Mumbai's ongoing Ranji Trophy campaign, where he will look to add to his already formidable domestic tally and force a rethink from the selectors.
— With inputs from Mumbai bureau
