The Weight Loss Game: Sarfaraz Khan's Mission to Regain His Place in Team India

Last week, the BCCI made an announcement regarding the Test squad consisting of 16 members, who will be participating in a two-match series against the West Indies. The matches are scheduled to be held in the Caribbean islands next month. The selection process caught everyone off guard as Sarfaraz Khan was not included in the team.

Sarfaraz, a 25-year-old cricketer, has been showcasing remarkable form in domestic cricket, accumulating an impressive tally of 928, 982, and 556 runs in the past three seasons of the Ranji Trophy. Surprisingly, despite his consistent performances, Sarfaraz hasn't received an opportunity to represent the senior Indian men's team so far.

Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar expressed his frustration with the selection committee after Sarfaraz's exclusion from the squad was announced on Friday, June 23. Gavaskar raised a pertinent question, asking what purpose playing in the Ranji Trophy serves if the team is selected primarily based on IPL performances.

This sentiment was shared not only by Gavaskar but also by several other cricketing greats and experts who voiced similar concerns about Sarfaraz's absence from the team.

Following extensive discussions and media coverage surrounding the selection controversy in recent days, a BCCI official has finally shed light on the factors contributing to the exclusion of the 25-year-old right-handed batsman.

On Sunday, June 25, the official disclosed the reasons behind the decision. According to him, Sarfaraz’s below-par "fitness level" as well as his alleged "off-field conduct" have influenced the decision.

"The angry reactions are understandable, but I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the reason behind Sarfaraz getting ignored time and again is not just a cricketing one. There are multiple reasons for which he hasn't been considered," a BCCI official privy to selection developments told PTI.

"Are the selectors fools to not consider a player who has scored 900 plus runs in successive seasons? One of the reasons is his fitness, which isn't exactly of an international standard. He has to work hard, maybe shed weight, and come back leaner and fitter, as it's not just batting fitness that is the sole criteria for selection," the source added.

Furthermore, the source refuted claims that the player's performance in the IPL influenced his exclusion, dismissing such assertions as a media-driven perception.

"That's a perception built by the media. Do you think there could be any cricketing reason?

"When Mayank Agarwal broke into the Indian Test team, he scored 1000 first-class runs in one month. Did MSK Prasad's committee check his IPL credentials? Ditto for Hanuma Vihari, who came through the domestic and A-team ranks. If their IPL and white ball records weren't checked then, why would SS Das's committee reinvent the wheel now? Simple. The reason is not a cricket one," he added.