The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has found itself in the firing line after leaving out Sarfaraz Khan and Mohammed Shami from the India A squad for the upcoming red-ball series against South Africa A.

 

The announcement naming Rishabh Pant as captain and Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain was released on Tuesday. While fans were happy to see Pant return from injury, many were left fuming after noticing two major absentees, Sarfaraz Khan and Mohammed Shami.

 

Sarfaraz’s exclusion, in particular, has turned into a hot topic. The middle-order batter, known for his consistency in domestic cricket, recently scored 74 runs in the Ranji Trophy and impressed during the England tour with a 92-run knock for India A. Despite his fitness improvements and strong numbers, the selectors still turned a blind eye.

 

One user wrote, “Sarfaraz Khan has scored tons of runs in domestic cricket, but BCCI always sidelines him. He’s a victim of ugly politics.”

 

Another user commented, “He is fit, scoring runs, and performing consistently. What else does he need to do, walk on water?”

 

A third fan couldn’t hold back and said, “Shame on BCCI and coach GG 🤡. The man averages 65.98 in first-class cricket, yet he can’t make it to India A.”

 

Even political voices joined the debate. Indian National Congress leader Dr. Shama Mohamed asked bluntly on X, “Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname? #JustAsking.”

 

Senior sports journalist Vikrant Gupta also expressed surprise, saying, “I am a little surprised with the continued absence of Sarfaraz Khan — even from the India A system now.”

 

Meanwhile, fans also questioned Mohammed Shami’s omission. The veteran pacer, who is fighting for a comeback, recently said his participation in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy proves his fitness. “If there was a fitness issue, I wouldn’t be here playing for Bengal,” he said before the selection.

 

The irony wasn’t lost on fans. One wrote, “So Shami is fit enough for Ranji but not fit enough for India? Classic BCCI logic.”

 

While BCCI announced that KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, and Dhruv Jurel will join the India A squad after the ODI series against Australia, fans were in no mood to calm down. Many accused the selection committee of favoritism and inconsistency.

 

As one frustrated fan summed it up, “If performance doesn’t matter and surnames do, maybe the selection committee should just rename the team ‘India B’ instead of India A.”

 

Whether the selectors respond or not, the internet has made its judgment clear, cricket fans aren’t buying the “merit” argument anymore.