"Should Have Been Playing For India": Dilip Vengsarkar "Surprised" At Ranji Trophy Star's Exclusion

Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan has been in stunning form in this year's Ranji Trophy, keeping up his impressive record in India's domestic first class tournament. Sarfaraz had scores of 165, 63, 48 and 275 in the last three league matches in this year's Ranji Trophy and he followed it up with a 153 in Mumbai's quarterfinal win against Uttarakhand. Last season, he had scored 928 runs in the Ranji Trophy and he boasts of a First Class average of 80.42. He also has a stellar record of converting every First Class century into a score of 150 or more.

Dilip Vengsarkar, who was part of the 1983 World Cup winning team and is a former chief selector for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that the 24-year-old should be a part of the Indian team.

"He should have been playing for India at the moment. He has scored tons of runs every time (in Ranji Trophy). And if the selectors are still not convinced, then I am really surprised," Vengsarkar told Khaleej Times.

"What else can he do to get into the Indian squad? Every year, he has scored more than 800 runs for Mumbai," he went on to say.

He also put aside questions about the batter's fitness, citing his knack of playing big knocks.

"I have seen him since he was 12. He is a street-smart cricketer. He is always hungry for success. He is very fit and the most important thing is that he can play long innings," Vengsarkar said.

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He also said Sarfaraz would be a big boost for the Indian middle-order as he can improvise and keep the scoreboard ticking.

"He is an improviser. And you need somebody to accelerate the scoring rate. A batsman like him helps the team because he keeps the scoreboard moving all the time," the Indian batting great said.