Former India opener Kris Srikkanth sympathises with Sarfaraz Khan but backs KL Rahul to do well in the first Test against Bangladesh starting on September 19. Srikkanth said that when a prominent player makes his way back to the side, the player is bound to lose his place.
On September 10, a media release from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that Sarfaraz will stay with India B for the Duleep Trophy second round match against India C. All the other players in the Test squad have been released from their respective Duleep Trophy squads ahead of the Chennai Test.
"Honestly, I feel bad for Sarfaraz Khan. But, this happens, at times, in Test cricket. You would have been playing well but when a big player returns, you will have to lose your place. Take for instance, Rishabh Pant is returning because of which Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan are losing their places. KL Rahul is coming in," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Rahul scored 86 in a losing cause in the Hyderabad Test. He was ruled out of the next Test and eventually the entire series due to injury. As Shreyas Iyer got injured as well, Sarfaraz Khan made his Test debut in Rajkot and scored twin fifties. He scored one more half-century in the remaining two Tests.
Srikkanth believes that Rahul has been backed ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series considering his overseas record. He averages over 50 against Australia.
"At the back of the mind, they are also keeping the Australia series. New Zealand are also coming. KL Rahul has performed well overseas, in Australia he has done well," added Srikkanth.
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Rahul, Sarfaraz’s performances in Duleep Trophy 2024 first round
Rahul registered scores of 37 and 57 in a losing cause for India A against India B in the Duleep Trophy 2024 first round. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz got out for a single-digit score in the first innings followed by a quickfire 46 in the second.
Rahul’s poor record vs Bangladesh
Rahul does not have a good record against Bangladesh. From six innings, he has managed to score just 69 runs at an average of 11.50.
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