When India A's squad for the upcoming four-day matches against South Africa A was announced on Tuesday (October 21), there was a notable omission in it.

Sarfaraz Khan, a consistent performer in domestic cricket, failed to make the cut, sparking widespread debate among fans and former players.

Many have questioned the logic behind leaving out the prolific Mumbai batter, who has long been on the fringes of the Indian Test setup.

Addressing the mounting criticism, a BCCI source has claimed that Sarfaraz's snub was not down to non-performance or bias, but rather fitness and form.

"Sarfaraz was out with a quadriceps injury. He recently made a comeback and played the first round of the Ranji Trophy-that is the only competitive cricket he has played in a long time. The selectors will assess his form in the ongoing Ranji season before drafting him back into the India A set-up," the source told NDTV.

"Hopefully, he will get his chances soon," the official added.

Earlier, a report published in PTI suggested that Sarfaraz Khan's absence was down to Rishabh Pant's return to the red-ball setup. With Pant being given the No. 5 spot in the India A team, there was no space for Sarfaraz.

In fact, Sarfaraz has reportedly been asked to get himself promoted to the No. 3 spot for the Mumbai team in Ranji Trophy if he is to reclaim his place in the national side.

At present, the only slot vacant in the senior Indian team is No. 3, where Sai Sudharsan hasn't yet done enough to secure his place.