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Fitness and injury rule out Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan from WI Tests, reveals Agarkar

Akshita Patel

Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan fail to make Test comeback [Source: @Rajiv1841, @Rajiv1841/X.com]Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan fail to make Test comeback [Source: @Rajiv1841, @Rajiv1841/X.com]

When India’s Test squad for the home series against West Indies was announced, notable names like Ishan Kishan and Sarfaraz Khan were missing. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar gave clear reasons behind their exclusion.

India announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming 2-match Test series against West Indies on Thursday, September 25. Shubman Gill retained his spot as captain while Ravindra Jadeja was named vice-captain in the absence of injured Rishabh Pant.

Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan ignored for West Indies series

A couple of notable inclusions were wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan and middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar issued clarification on those omissions during the press conference.

Agarkar revealed that when the India A team was selected for the unofficial Test series against Australia A, Ishan Kishan was not fully fit, so he was left out.

Instead, wicketkeeper N. Jagadeesan was included in the squad in Ishan’s place. With no recent performance to back his candidature, Kishan was left out of the India squad.

"When we picked India A, Ishan Kishan wasn't fit. Jagadeeshan was part of the squad when Ishan wasn't fit. Ishan will have to play a bit more cricket and show some performances," Agarkar said.

In recent years, Ishan has had a somewhat irregular presence. He requested a break during India’s tour to South Africa, citing mental fatigue and that he was not in the right frame of mind.

He also skipped certain domestic matches, which led to criticism and his removal from BCCI’s central contract list for a while. Further, Ishan has also dealt with injuries.

For example, he was ruled out of some domestic tournaments due to a groin issue. In a recent instance, too, selectors reportedly reached out to him to join a test tour, but he could not travel due to an injury.

Sarfaraz Khan is down with an injury

On the other hand, middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan was snubbed due to injury. Ajit Agarkar clarified that the batter is struggling with a niggle and isn’t fit enough to participate in the upcoming Test series.

Sarfaraz recently underwent a physical transformation to achieve a lean body. However, his exclusion is not about form but about his physical condition, which must be fully resolved before he can be considered again.