Border-Gavaskar Trophy | Sarfaraz Khan deserved selection over Suryakumar Yadav, feels Aakash Chopra

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday announced a 17-member squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy scheduled to begin on February 9. The selection for the four-match Test series included a few surprises, with the headline news being Suryakumar Yadav's call-up to the red-ball team. The hard-hitting stroke maker over the past two years has fast established himself as the best T20I batter in the world, which led to appeals for him to be tried out in Tests from various experts including former head coach Ravi Shastri.

However, renowned commentator Aakash Chopra took to his YouTube channel to put forward Sarfaraz Khan's name instead, given the top-order batter's exemplary record in the Ranji Trophy.  

"Sarfaraz's name is still not there. He feels he got cheated because his name should probably have come. Bumrah is still not there. That's another news but I am more concerned that Sarfaraz is not there," Chopra was quoted saying by India Today.

In 36 first-class matches, Sarfaraz has already accumulated an astonishing 3,380 at a stunning average of 80.47. His 12 centuries and nine half-centuries for Mumbai have typically been flamboyant and power-packed, taking him miles clear of his competitor for the Indian squad in terms of numbers.

"When you picked Surya, it means a slot had opened up. In my opinion, Sarfaraz should have gotten that chance because Sarfaraz's first-class average is 80. Apart from him, only Don Bradman has an average of 80 or more in the number of matches he has played," Chopra added.

The Indian team would be missing a key batter in Rishabh Pant, while the likes of Hanuma Vihari and Ajinkya Rahane have also been excluded from the India setup for a while leading to the opening up of fresh selection slots. While Yadav has started off the Ranji campaign strongly with two scores of 90 in three innings, alongside a T20I century against Sri Lanka, Sarfaraz has already registered two centuries in the ongoing season. 

"So he has done everything in his power to be in the Indian team. I am a little disappointed, that if you had a chance to select even one guy because both Surya and Sarfaraz don't come in the XI, Sarfaraz had the right in my opinion. If someone's domestic season is going so good, you should have rewarded him," Chopra added.