Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan is all set to be released from India’s squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, slated to be held in Kanpur from September 27 onwards.
Sarfaraz made his India debut in the home Test series against England earlier this year. In his maiden series, he scored 200 runs from three matches at an average of 50, including three half-centuries.
As KL Rahul returned to the Indian Test squad after recovering from injury, he was preferred in the playing XI ahead of Sarfaraz for the series opener against Bangladesh at Chepauk.
Now, a report published in TOI suggests that Sarfaraz will be released from the national squad to be available for the Irani Cup match.
Ranji Trophy 2023-24 champions Mumbai is all set to face Rest of India (ROI) in the Irani Cup, which is scheduled to take place at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow from October 1-5.
“India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar is keen that, baring any last-minute injuries in the nets or fitness issues to any of the main batsmen in Team India, Sarfaraz should be released from the main squad to allow him to play in the Irani Cup. In any case, it takes just about an hour to reach Lucknow from Kanpur, so Sarfaraz can leave for Lucknow even much after the Kanpur Test has begun,” a source was quoted as saying by TOI.
The addition of Sarfaraz Khan will bolster Mumbai’s batting unit, which is set to feature the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, and Musheer Khan. It remains to be seen if India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is included in Mumbai’s squad for the Irani Cup fixture or not.
All-rounder Shardul Thakur is likely to make a comeback for Mumbai in the Irani Cup, but star pacer Tushar Deshpande will miss the match as he is recovering after undergoing surgery following injuries to his ankle and knee.
“Deshpande is unlikely to be available for the next couple of months. He will miss the initial rounds of the Ranji Trophy too. The earliest he may return is for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in November,” a source said.
Sarfaraz’s younger brother Musheer Khan, who has impressed one and all with his exploits in first-class cricket so far, is likely to open for Mumbai in the one-off match alongside Prithvi Shaw.
(With TOI Inputs)
