Sarfaraz Khan, the Mumbai batter overlooked for the India A tour of New Zealand, has admitted he expected a call-up but said he would continue scoring in domestic cricket and leave selection decisions to the selectors. The admission came after Sarfaraz made 55 on day one of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday, 2 November 2026.

Sarfaraz on the Snub

'Obviously. Whenever a team comes out, I have expectations. But it's okay. It's in their (selectors') hands whether to select me or not. My job is to play cricket,' Sarfaraz told reporters in a post-day chat at the ground.

Sarfaraz last represented India nearly two years ago in the 2024 Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium. He was recalled to the Test squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka in August as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan, but did not get a game. It was during that stint in the dressing room, he said, that he gleaned how selectors viewed his prospects.

'The selectors didn't say it to me directly, but when I went to the Indian team recently, I heard that they are looking at me more for Indian conditions,' he said.

Questioning the 'Indian Conditions Only' Tag

Sarfaraz pushed back on the selectors' reported assessment, pointing to a consistent overseas record with India A. 'But still I have a question, that when I went to (South) Africa, I scored runs. When I went to England, I scored. So sometimes when you make a comeback and you get a rank turner in India, suddenly you can't perform very well on a difficult wicket after scoring in domestic cricket. Or if you do, then 30-40-50 runs are enough on it. But it is not that I have not scored runs outside (India). I have scored outside too. So it's okay. Ye unka nazariya hai (This is the selectors' perspective). My job is to play cricket. And I will play,' he added.

The numbers support his argument. In seven first-class matches for India A in overseas conditions — across South Africa in 2021 and 2023, Bangladesh in 2022, and England in May 2025 — Sarfaraz accumulated 300 runs at an average of exactly 50, including three half-centuries.

Domestic Form Remains Strong

In the current Ranji Trophy season, Sarfaraz has posted scores of 1, 154, 40 and 55, averaging 62.50. A month ago, he was named vice-captain of the Rest of India side for the Irani Cup against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir, contributing 45 and 0. Despite being more than a decade since his Ranji debut in 2014, Sarfaraz said the grind of restarting each season never gets easier.

'It's very difficult to score runs every season. I think I am still doing the same thing that I did with my father in the beginning. It's the same thing. I don't take off in the off-season, and I practice and keep batting,' he said. He added that anyone looking for him knew to check Azad Maidan or Cross Maidan at 6 in the morning.

Father Naushad Khan: The Motivating Force

Having already realised his dream of an India cap in 2024, Sarfaraz said his father Naushad Khan remains his primary source of motivation. 'I wake up every morning and ask myself the same question, why should I work harder? I have played for India, but I wake up at 5 in the morning and go (to train). When I see that my father is working hard, he is sweating it out, then it's okay. I will go and score for him,' he said.

Sarfaraz also recalled the personal cost of his India journey. 'Everyone knows that I don't have (any other) support in my life. If I have support, it's only from my father. No one has supported me in my life. But it's okay. I worked hard; I fulfilled my father's dream (by playing for India).'

The Weight-Loss Transformation

After being dropped from the Test side in 2024, Sarfaraz undertook a rigorous diet and fitness regime, shedding his weight from 97 kg to 77 kg. Images of the transformation attracted widespread attention on social media, though Sarfaraz clarified that no one in the India or Mumbai set-ups had explicitly asked him to lose weight. 'No one told me that I have to lose weight. But whatever I heard on social media, or from someone, that maybe I should lose weight. So I did it. In reality, I was overweight. There is no doubt about that,' he said.

For now, Sarfaraz remains focused on domestic cricket as the most direct route back to the Test side. 'They will call me up (again), I will go and play. Otherwise I'll continue to play here,' he said — a line that is equal parts resignation and quiet defiance.