Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin has urged the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel to give another chance to Sarfaraz Khan to play for India. Khan scored a blistering knock of 157 runs off just 75 balls against Goa with the help of nine fours and 14 sixes, helping Mumbai post a mammoth total of 448 runs on the board in Vijay Hazare Trophy. 

Khan returned with scores of 157, 55, and 62 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and scored a brilliant 227-run knock against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. Thus, the Mumbai batter is once again knocking on the selectors’ doors.

However, Khan last played for India in the three-match Test series against New Zealand in 2024 in the home conditions. He was part of the squad for the Australia tour but didn’t get his opportunities in the playing XI. Subsequently, he was not picked for the England tour and the home Test series against the West Indies and South Africa.

“He wants to learn. Even after playing for India and then scoring runs, he still wants to learn. That’s a very good sign. Because nobody is perfect. Zaheer Abbas showed me what to change in myself and how, when I was struggling. He showed me how to play fast bowling and swing bowling,” Azharuddin said on Sportstar.

“He [Sarfaraz] deserves another chance to play for India. He has scored runs everywhere, and India needs good attacking players. If you are scoring runs but you still don’t get a chance, it gets very disappointing. But I’m sure he will get it very soon.”

Praising his knock against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy, Azharuddin said, “He is a good, attacking player who can change the situation of a game very quickly. He doesn’t like being dominated by the bowler. As a batsman, you need to score runs. If you allow a good bowler to dominate, you are in trouble. I don’t know how the pitch was, but I believe the ball was swinging and the bounce was variable. So for him to score at a good rate underlines his quality.”

Khan would look to carry the good show and keep delivering in the domestic circuit.