Sarfaraz Khan joins Indian camp ahead of Bangladesh Test series
Middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan has joined the Indian cricket team at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, ahead of the 1st Test against Bangladesh. This comes after he was requested by selectors to participate in an additional match during the Duleep Trophy. It remains to be seen if he will ace the middle-order role in the upcoming Test at Chepauk, starting September 19.
Sarfaraz's performance in Duleep Trophy and potential selection
Sarfaraz recently scored 16 runs for India B against India C in the drawn Duleep Trophy match. His delayed arrival at the national camp could tip the scales in favor of KL Rahul for the middle-order position in the first Test against Bangladesh. Rahul has recently recovered from a quadricep injury that sidelined him earlier this year.
Sarfaraz's debut and future prospects in Test cricket
Sarfaraz made his debut in the third Test against England at Rajkot earlier this year, filling in for an injured Rahul. He amassed 200 runs across five innings, with an impressive average of 50. He, thereby, cemented his spot for the Bangladesh series alongside other newcomers Akash Deep and Dhruv Jurel. However, he may have to wait before representing India again due to the return of senior players Rahul and Virat Kohli.
India's squad for the 1st Test against Bangladesh
India's squad for the 1st Test: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.