Why was Sarfaraz Khan DROPPED from India’s plans? Here’s the reason behind

Sarfaraz Khan has been one of India’s most talked-about domestic players. Fans have been waiting for his India call-up for a long time. But in the last year, Sarfaraz has not been able to repeat the high-scoring form that once made him a strong contender for the national team.

Because of this, selectors have stayed cautious, and his name has not appeared in the recent India squads. The main reason is simple: his recent domestic performance has not been as strong as expected.

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Sarfaraz Khan’s recent Domestic stats

In his recent domestic outings, Sarfaraz Khan has struggled to register big scores. He managed 16 runs against Himachal on November 8, 2025, followed by 15 and an unbeaten 5 against Rajasthan on November 1 in Jaipur. Earlier, he scored just 1 run against Chhattisgarh on October 25 in Mumbai. His only notable contributions came against Jammu & Kashmir, where he made 42 and 32 on October 15 in Srinagar.

For India A, Sarfaraz scored a promising 92 against the England Lions in Canterbury on May 30, 2025. However, he could only score 1 run against the PM’s XI in Canberra on November 30, 2024, in an Other OD match.

These numbers show that while he has had a few starts, he has not delivered the consistent, big knocks expected for national selection.

Why are selectors not choosing him?

1. No big scores in recent Ranji games

Sarfaraz built his reputation with huge hundreds in domestic cricket.

But in the last few matches for Mumbai, his scores have been:

• 16
• 15 & 5*
• 1
• 42 & 32

These are decent starts, but not the big innings that selectors expect from him.

2. Inconsistency at the Domestic level

Consistency is important for national selection.

Sarfaraz has not produced:

• match-winning knocks
• centuries
• or long innings

In the recent domestic season. Except for his 92 for India A vs England Lions, there are no major standout innings.

3. Strong competition for middle-order spots

India’s middle order is packed with players like:

• Shubman Gill
• Sai Sudharshan
• Rishabh Pant
• Washington Sundar
• Dhruv Jurel

With so much competition, Sarfaraz needs big, convincing performances to push ahead.

4. Selectors want players in Top form

Runs in past seasons are important, but current form matters more. Sarfaraz’s recent numbers show that he is not at his best right now, which makes selectors wait for his comeback.

What Sarfaraz Khan needs now

To return to the selection conversation, Sarfaraz needs:

• Big hundreds in Ranji Trophy
• Consistent form across matches
• Strong performance for India A
• To convert starts (30s & 40s) into big scores

If he does this, his chances will immediately increase.

Will Sarfaraz play for India soon?

Sarfaraz Khan is a talented batter, and selectors know his past achievements. But at the moment, his recent domestic form is the biggest reason he hasn’t been picked for the Indian national team.

If he finds his old rhythm again and starts scoring big, his India call-up will not be far away.