Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has expressed his determination to continue playing cricket and scoring runs in domestic competitions after being overlooked for the India A squad ahead of their series against New Zealand.
Speaking after the first day of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Brabourne Stadium, Sarfaraz stated, “My job is to play cricket. And I will play,” according to Cricinfo.
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The 29-year-old last featured for India in a Test match against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in 2024. Although recalled to the squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka in August as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan, he did not participate in either game.
Sarfaraz had hoped to be selected for the India A side for three four-day matches against New Zealand, which serve as preparation for the senior team’s upcoming Test series, but was ultimately excluded.
Commenting on his non-selection, Sarfaraz said, “Obviously. Whenever a team comes out, I have expectations. But it’s okay. It’s in their (selectors’) hands whether to select me or not. My job is to play cricket.”
He also mentioned that he had heard selectors were considering him primarily for matches played under Indian conditions, stating, “The selectors didn’t say it to me directly, but when I went to the Indian team recently, I heard that they are looking at me more for Indian conditions.”
However, Sarfaraz questioned this perception by referencing his performances overseas for India A, saying, “But still I have a question, that when I went to [South] Africa, I scored runs [for India A]. When I went to England, I scored. So sometimes when you make a comeback and you get a rank turner in India, suddenly you can’t perform very well on a difficult wicket after scoring in domestic cricket. Or if you do, then 30-40-50 runs are enough on it. But it is not that I have not scored runs outside [India]. I have scored outside too. So it’s okay. Ye unka nazariya hai (This is the selectors’ perspective). My job is to play cricket. And I will play.”
Sarfaraz has accumulated 300 runs at an average of 50 in seven first-class matches for India A outside India, including three half-centuries.
In the current Ranji Trophy season, he has continued to perform for Mumbai, scoring 1, 154, 40 and 55 in his first four innings, bringing his season’s average to 62.50.
The batter acknowledged the challenges of maintaining consistent performance in domestic cricket, noting, “It’s very difficult to score runs every season. I think I am still doing the same thing that I did with my father in the beginning. It’s the same thing. I don’t take off in the off-season, and I practice and keep batting. I don’t know how many runs I am going to make.”
He added, “But when I came to Ranji Trophy 10-11 years ago, I worked hard the same way. I have the same routine. Everyone knows If you want to meet Sarfaraz Khan, you don’t have to go to his house, you can meet him at Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan at 6 in the morning. It’s very difficult to restart every year, come every year and work hard. Sometimes you get success, sometimes you don’t. But this is my job, can’t do anything.”
Sarfaraz credited his father for his motivation during difficult phases, saying his passion for cricket remains despite having realised his childhood dream of representing India. “Motivation is to play cricket, that’s it. Wherever I get a chance, I will play cricket. When it’s off-season, I don’t like to sit at home. I think I’m made for cricket. Wherever I get an opportunity… [If] Ranji Trophy, Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare, IPL, the Indian team calls me, I will go. If India A calls me, I will go. I want to play cricket,” he said.
He also revealed a personal fitness transformation, having lost 20 kg in the previous year, reducing his weight from 97 kg to 77 kg. Sarfaraz clarified that this decision was self-motivated and not directed by team management. “No one told me that I have to lose weight,” he stated. “But whatever I heard on social media, or from someone, that maybe I should lose weight. So I did it. Because whatever I hear, that I should work on something, I am doing that in my life. I can’t do anything more than that. In reality, I was overweight. There is no doubt about that.”
Reflecting on his career progression since making his Test debut in 2024, Sarfaraz said he is not dwelling on selection decisions and intends to take advantage of all opportunities. “I’m not thinking much, I am just playing wherever I get a chance. They will call me up [again], I will go and play. Otherwise I’ll continue to play here [in domestic cricket],” he concluded.
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