'Don’t allow frustration get the better of you' - Dodda Ganesh's advice to Sarfaraz Khan after India snub

Sarfaraz Khan was once again overlooked by the selectors as he could not find a place in the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies. The 25-year-old has been constantly ignored by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) selectors in the past seven months despite scoring loads of runs in the Indian domestic circuit.

The Mumbai batter was first ignored for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh in December 2022 and then for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home in February-March 2023. Following his most recent snub snub, the young sensation took to Instagram to express his frustration and shared a video of his highlights from the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy season where he scored three centuries.

Sarfaraz’s story got the attention of the former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh who advised him to not let the frustration get the better of him. Ganesh took to Twitter and wrote, “My only advice to youngsters: please don’t allow the frustration get the better of you when you’re ignored. Social media is a double-edged sword. Use it wisely 🙏🏻 #CricketTwitter.”

Sarfaraz has the second-best First-Class average after Don Bradman

Notably, Sarfaraz has been in tremendous form in the last three Ranji seasons, having plundered 2566 runs. He was the leading run-scorer for Mumbai and the fifth-highest overall as he scored 928 runs in the 2019/20 season, averaging a staggering 154.66. Sarfaraz finished as the highest run-scorer in the 2021-22 season, scoring 982 runs at an average of 122.75.

The batting prodigyhad another remarkable season in 2022-23 as he scored 656 runs at an average of 92.66. Sarfaraz boasts an incredible average of 79.65 in First Class cricket, which is second to only the greatest Don Bradman (minimum 50 innings), in 37 matches. However, despite his mind-boggling numbers, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal were picked ahead of him for the West Indies tour. The two-match Test series will begin from July 12.