'The door could open' - Sunil Gavaskar backs Sarfaraz Khan to get Team India call-up soon

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that Sarfaraz Khan has done enough in this season’s domestic circuit to earn a place in the national team. The batting legend even stated that he would be surprised if Sarfaraz would not be named in the squad for the next Test series of India. Sarfaraz finished as the top scorer in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy season for Mumbai.

The Mumbai batter was arguably the best batter in the tournament, scoring a staggering 982 runs in nine innings with four hundreds and two fifties at an average of 122.75. He scored 324 runs more than Rajat Patidar, who is second on the list for most runs scored this season, and at least 484 runs more than anybody else in his team.

“Sarfaraz Khan’s tremendous run of hundreds should bring him into contention for a place in the national team where with Rahane gone and Pujara getting one last chance to score and keep his place in the team and go on to play a century of Test matches the door could open for Sarfaraz,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for Mid-Day.

Rajat Patidar has also been tremendously consistent: Gavaskar

“He certainly has banged the selection committee’s door down and it would be a real surprise if his name doesn’t figure in the squad for the next Test series,” added Gavaskar about Sarfaraz. Mumbai, led by Prithvi Shaw, lost in the final to Madhya Pradesh despite Sarfaraz’s efforts. Meanwhile, Gavaskar is also impressed with Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar, who slammed a match-winning hundred in the final.

“There are some others too like Rajat Patidar who has also been tremendously consistent in what has been a breakthrough season for him,” mentioned Gavaskar. “India are blessed to have such talent which is keeping the seniors on their toes and ensuring there is no room for complacency at all,” he added. 

Patidar was also one of the best batters in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 658 runs with two hundreds and five fifties at an average of 82.25. Like Sarfaraz, the Madhya Pradesh batter also scored a hundred in the final at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the home stadium of his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).