On Tuesday, October 21, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India A squad for the upcoming four-day matches against South Africa A at home. With the two unofficial four-day matches set
to commence from October 31, the India A side have been bolstered by star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant ’s inclusion, who is set to mark his return after sustaining an injury during England tour.
It is to be noted that Pant sustained a fracture while featuring in the fourth Test of the five-match series in England. As a result, he was ruled out of the fifth Test and has been out of the Indian squad since them, missing the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 as well as the two-match Test series against West Indies at home. However, he is all set to mark his return, he will be seen donning the captain’s hat.
All this stands at one place, but the side has received a massive hiccup in the exclusion of domestic giant in Sarfaraz Khan. The middle-order batter, who was part of the India A squad for England, was left out of the squad, leaving everyone questioning. Meanwhile, several reports have claimed that Pant’s return is the reason behind this move despite the middle-order batter regaining complete fitness.
Sarfaraz Khan to bat at No. 3 in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy after India A snub: Sources
As per a report by PTI, Pant will be seen batting at number five in both matches, a position Sarfaraz bats at. However, this raises concerns over Sarfaraz Khan’s place in the Indian side as well, sources close to the development have reported that the Indian batter should speak with veteran Ajinkya Rahane and other members to bat up the order for Mumbai in the upcoming matches as the No. 5 place looks bleak for him.
"Sarfaraz should have a chat with the Mumbai team management and also with their senior-most player, Ajinkya Rahane, and, maybe, try out batting at No. 3 where he might have to play the new ball. If he keeps batting at No. 5 or 6, it will not help. India have more all-round options for those slots,” a former national selector told PTI. "Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy... if all are fit and available, they will occupy the middle-order, being multi-skilled players. When Pant is injured, it will be Dhruv Jurel batting at No. 5 or 6," the source further added.
Sarfaraz Khan has so far featured in six Test matches since making his debut against England at home. In 11 innings, Khan has amassed 371 runs at an average of 37.10 and a strike rate of 74.94, scoring a hundred and registering three fifty-plus scores.
