Forget the past: Kaif's big message on Sarfaraz Khan's Test return
For much of the past two years, Sarfaraz Khan’s name seemed to be caught between his performances and the questions surrounding his place in the Indian Test set-up.
Mohammad Kaif believes that should now be put to rest.
Sarfaraz was recalled to India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan, ending a prolonged period away from the national set-up. The 28-year-old last played a Test against New Zealand in November 2024, when he followed up his maiden Test century in Bengaluru with a 150 in the second innings of the Pune Test.
“I feel that whoever convinced the decision-makers, whether it was the BCCI, the selectors, the coaches or the captain, whoever said that Sarfaraz Khan should be brought back for Sri Lanka because the pitches could be spin-friendly, and he plays spin well and could contribute to India winning there, whoever spoke along those lines, I salute that person,” Kaif said in his YouTube show ahead of the first Test in Galle, starting August 15.
He was subsequently part of India’s squad for the 2024-25 tour of Australia but did not play a Test. He was then picked for the India A tour of England in 2025, scoring 92 in the first-class match against the England Lions, but did not make the senior squad for the five-Test series.
His absence also led to speculation over the reasons behind his continued exclusion. In January 2025, speculation was rife that Sarfaraz was named during a BCCI review meeting in connection with alleged leaks of dressing-room conversations from the Australia tour. The claim was widely reported but remained an allegation.
Kaif believes the focus should now be firmly on cricket.
“Forget whatever happened in the past. Indian cricket should not suffer because of it. Take decisions that ensure the Indian team keeps winning, keeps progressing and keeps moving forward in a dominant manner. So, whoever has taken this decision, my first reaction is to wish them the very best because someone must have brought up his name.”
Sarfaraz’s case was made stronger by his continued domestic returns. He scored 429 runs in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, while his overall first-class record remains exceptional: 5,114 runs at an average of 64.73, including 17 hundreds.
He also underwent a significant fitness transformation, reportedly losing around 17kg in 2025. In the 2026 IPL, he made an impact for Chennai Super Kings, scoring 161 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 169.47, including a 25-ball fifty against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
RUMOURS AND QUESTIONS
For Kaif, Sarfaraz’s numbers make the prolonged uncertainty over his selection difficult to explain purely through performance.
“He (Sarfaraz Khan) didn’t get consistent opportunities in the team and was even dropped without any explanation. All these things led to rumours and raised several questions: Why isn’t Sarfaraz Khan’s name coming up? Tell us the reason. Why isn’t he playing? No reason was given. His name wasn’t even coming up for India A. All these things happened in between.
“There must have been some reason why he wasn’t played earlier. Obviously, it wasn’t because he wasn’t scoring runs or because his bat wasn’t working. He scored runs against New Zealand, including that 150-run innings, and was playing well and was in form. He also scored against England in the debut Test match, so his start was quite good.”
Sarfaraz has played only six Tests so far, scoring 371 runs at an average of 37.10, with one century and three fifties.
His recall gives him another opportunity to add to that record, considering he might get a look in on spinner-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka.
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