Former Indian cricketer and analyst Aakash Chopra has recently shown his support for Sarfaraz Khan and urged the Indian team management to consider him for the Playing XI in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The first match of the series will begin on November 22 in Perth.
Chopra posted a video on his YouTube channel and voiced his displeasure at the prospect of the Mumbai batter going unnoticed in spite of his notable performance records. According to numerous reports, Sarfaraz Khan will most probably not be included in the Playing XI of the Indian squad as the management is prioritizing players like KL Rahul, Devdutt Paddikal and Dhruv Jurel for the middle-order position.
According to Aakash Chopra, Indian team management should show some faith in the 27-year-old batter because if they have taken him to Australia and not been given a chance to show his skills, it will be unfair.
“Can Sarfaraz not be considered at all? Although you and I might have less confidence in him, it doesn’t make a difference what you, or the team think about him. If you have taken him along, it’s your duty to try him at least,” said Aakash Chopra on his Youtube channel.
In addition, Chopra emphasized that the Indian management should give him a fair opportunity if they deem him worthy of selection. He highlighted that when Sarfaraz was given a chance in the home test series against New Zealand, he scored 150. Before this, when he played against England, the Mumbai batter scored more runs that time too, so even after scoring runs, if he is not given the chance ahead of someone else, this would be quite unfair to him.
Notably, Sarfaraz Khan has recently come under fire for his inconsistent play in the longest format. His knock against New Zealand is still a highlight, but his inconsistent play casts doubts on his dependability. It would be interesting to see if Sarfaraz Khan is added to the starting lineup and if he can demonstrate his skills in the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy.