India's squad for the first Test against Bangladesh was announced on Sunday (September 8). The likes of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have returned after missing the England series earlier this year for different reasons. This has created a selection headache for Rohit Sharma and the management with Sarfaraz Khan performing extremely well in the absence of the two cricketers. But the Mumbai batter will likely have to sit out with Rahul and Kohli both slotting back into their positions.
While there is no question on Kohli's place in the playing XI, Rahul's return might not go down well with the fans especially after Sarfaraz scored 200 runs at an average of 50 with three half-centuries in five innings in his debut series. But the fact that Rahul was injured and ruled out of last three Tests against England and not dropped makes his case stronger. The man has done nothing wrong in Tests to lose his place and former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth also feels the same. At the same time, he is also feeling bad for Sarfaraz who will miss out.
"Honestly, I feel bad for Sarfaraz Khan. But this happens, at times, in Test cricket. You would have been playing well, but when a big player returns, you will have to lose your place," Srikanth said on his YouTube channel. He also highlighted Rahul's experience and also noted that the Indian management will have the upcoming Australia tour also in mind.
"At the back of the mind, they are also keeping the Australia series. New Zealand are also coming. KL Rahul has performed well overseas, in Australia he has done well," Srikanth further added. Moreover, Rahul has done no harm to his reputation with a decent outing in the first round of the Duleep Trophy with scores of 37 and 57 in two innings while playing for India A.
His selection has also become clear with BCCI opting not to withdraw Sarfaraz Khan for the second round of the Duleep Trophy despite his selection in the India squad.
