'Can't Take Place For Granted': Sarfaraz Khan Gets Fitness Reminder Amid India Test Absence

Sarfaraz Khan’s Test career began amid much fanfare. After strong performances in domestic cricket, he earned a long-awaited Test debut during a home series against England in 2024. He made an immediate impact, scoring two half-centuries in his first Test.

He was then also included for the New Zealand series later that year, where he went on to register his maiden Test century – 150 in Bengaluru. However, his returns dipped thereafter, with the middle order managing just 21 runs across the next four innings.

Even so, a century and three fifties in six Tests are respectable numbers. Despite that, Sarfaraz has not played a Test since the New Zealand series.

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, known for advocating rewards for domestic consistency,

recalled being impressed by Sarfaraz during the Dharamsala Test in March 2024.

“I was really impressed by Sarfaraz Khan and Devdutt Padikkal in the India-England Test match in Dharamsala a couple of years ago. They had an excellent partnership at a very crucial stage of the Test match. They showed excellent temperament and excellent technique,” he told news agency PTI.

However, Vengsarkar also feels that talent alone is not enough at the highest level.

“Sarfaraz is a good player. There is no question about it. But you cannot take a place for granted and you have to be fit all the time,” he added.

Sarfaraz last featured in a Test during New Zealand’s tour of India in 2024 and was also part of the India squad for the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. However, he did not get a game in the series and has not been picked for India since.

Against New Zealand, he scored 171 runs from six innings in a three-match series, where India’s senior batters also struggled as the team suffered a historic whitewash.

Despite being part of the squad for the five-Test tour of Australia, he remained on the bench throughout the series.

In domestic cricket, however, Sarfaraz continues to be a consistent performer. In the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season for Mumbai, he scored 429 runs in seven matches at an average of 53.62. His standout performance came with a commanding 227 against Hyderabad, an innings that helped Mumbai secure a crucial win and progress to the quarterfinals.

Despite these performances, Sarfaraz’s international future remains on hold for now.