India's star batter Sarfaraz Khan, has suffered an unfortunate injury just before the home Test series against the West Indies. According to a report from the Times of India, the injury is severe enough to sideline him for a significant period. This setback comes at a particularly bad time, as he was in strong contention for a spot in the national team.
Injury setback for Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz earned his place in the Indian Test team through a series of outstanding performances in domestic cricket. He successfully carried that momentum into international matches, delivering several impactful knocks for India. Despite his good form, he was surprisingly dropped from the squads for both the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, Sarfaraz has not let these snubs affect his game. He has continued to perform consistently well in domestic cricket and for the India A team, proving his resilience and determination.
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The 27-year-old right-handed batter has been making a strong case for a return to the Indian Test squad with some incredible performances. The 27-year-old underwent a remarkable physical transformation, losing 17 kilograms in just two months. He recently played in the Kanga League and the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament, where he sent a clear message to the national selectors by smashing back-to-back centuries against TNCA XI and Haryana.
Sarfaraz ruled out of the Duleep Trophy
Sarfaraz was likely hoping to make his Test comeback during the upcoming home series against the West Indies in October. However, his aspirations have been dealt a major blow by an untimely injury. A quadriceps injury has ruled him out for three weeks, forcing him to miss the Duleep Trophy. He was scheduled to play for the defending champions, West Zone, in their semifinal clash against Central Zone on September 4 at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
"Sarfaraz is suffering from a quadriceps injury, which he picked up while scoring a century against Haryana in the Buchi Babu event five days ago. He's set to be out for almost three weeks and is currently rehabilitating at the CoE," a source told TOI.
Shivalik Sharma is likely to step in as the replacement for Sarfaraz Khan in the West Zone squad, as he was previously named as a reserve player. Meanwhile, Central Zone will also have to make a change to their lineup. Skipper Dhruv Jurel, who missed the quarter-final due to a groin injury, has been officially ruled out of the semi-final against West Zone. He will be replaced by Upendra Yadav. Additionally, Yash Thakur has joined the Central Zone team as a substitute for Kuldeep Yadav, who is heading to the UAE for the Asia Cup 2025.