Sarfaraz Khan replaced Sai Sudharsan in the Indian squad for SriLanka Tests.
Sarfaraz joined the Indian team in Sri Lanka on Monday after being added to the roster to replace the injured Sai Sudharsan. Having last played for India against New Zealand in November 2024, his return has also rekindled the controversy surrounding his long absence from the Test setup.
Kaif questioned why Sarfaraz Khan was not picked for the Indian team in the last two years and stressed that poor performance was not the reason for Sarfaraz's exclusion.
"There was a reason he was not allowed to play. Performance was not the reason. There was no reason. That his runs were not getting made, that the bat was not working. He made runs against New Zealand. He came across the field. He was playing well. He was in form. When he scored against England, he had a good start," Kaif said on the YouTube channel.
In addition, Kaif commended the decision-makers for bringing Sarfaraz back since he thought his ability to counter spin may be useful in Sri Lanka.
"Whatever happened in between, he was removed. But now, whoever said that he should come back, I feel that he is thinking about India. India is thinking about cricket. We have to win. We will need talented players. We will need competent players. We will need competent players who play well. So, first of all, whoever has named him on the table, I congratulate him a lot. And I hope that Sarfaraz Khan will go there and play well,” he added.
Kaif further spoke about whether Sarfaraz Khan could walk into the Indian XI. He feels that the Indian team management might favor Dhruv Jurel given that he has been with the Indian team for the past few series.
"If they follow the trend of backing the players who have already been playing for the team, then they might say, ‘Jurel has been with us already. He hasn’t scored consistently, but we will back him because he has already been part of the team.’ If that is the approach, then Sarfaraz will have to wait. But if you ask me what the best XI is, Sarfaraz’s name comes into my best XI because of his ability to play spin at No. 5 or No. 6. His record against spin is excellent," Kaif said.
Sarfaraz's range of strokes is another reason Kaif sees him as a strong option, particularly if the pitch becomes increasingly difficult to bat on as the Test progresses.
"He also has a wide range of shots. When you get to the fourth or fifth day, batting becomes more difficult, and that is where a player like Sarfaraz Khan can be very useful. He knows how to use sweeps and reverse sweeps effectively. He can hit over extra cover, he is good off the back foot, and he attacks spin," he said.
Kaif also pointed to Jurel's recent form as another reason he would prefer Sarfaraz for the first Test.
"Look, I can understand that India have played well, but Jurel’s recent Test record and form haven’t been that great," Kaif said.
Sarfaraz Khan has played six Tests and scored 371 runs at an average of 37.10, including one century and three half-centuries. His only century came against New Zealand when he scored 150.