Sarfaraz Khan to Mohammed Shami: Five names who failed to make India A cut for South Africa series
Many who have been consistently performing in domestic cricket has been ignored for the two-match series. Here is a list of 5 players that have been ignored...
Gargi Raut
October 21, 2025 / 17:59 IST
1/7
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the India A squads for the two four-day matches against South Africa A. Rishabh Pant, who fractured his metatarsal in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford, returns as the captain of the team, with Sai Sudharsan as his deputy. The two squads feature many young names, including those of Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Ayush Mhatre and Ayush Badoni. (BCCI Photo)
2/7
But there are also many who have been consistently performing in domestic cricket has been ignored for the two-match series. Here is a list of 5 players that have been ignored...
3/7
Sarfaraz Khan: The 27-year-old batter has been struggling to cement his place in the Indian Test setup since he was sidelined after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to injury. Meanwhile, Sudharsan and a veteran player like Karun Nair were called up for the series in England. Ajit Agarkar, who heads the selection committee, explained that it was a strategic move to pick Karun ahead of Sarfaraz. The Mumbai batter also missed out on the West Indies Test series due to an injury. (BCCI Photo)
4/7
Karun Nair: Karun made a comeback to the Indian Test side in England, after a brilliant Ranji Trophy campaign with Vidarbha. But the 33-year-old ultimately failed to live up to the expectations of the selectors after scoring only 205 runs in the five-match series. He also didn’t play against West Indies series after Agarkar made it abundantly clear that Karun had not delivered what was expected of him. (AFP Photo)
Mohammed Shami: One of India’s best pace bowlers can’t even find a spot in the India A squad. The 35-year-old had a year-long battle with injuries, and even after his return, he was left out of both the series in England and the home Tests against West Indies. Shami started the Ranji Trophy season with a seven-wicket haul against Uttarakhand. Ahead of the match, Shami also opened up about his injury. “It’s not my job to give an update on my fitness,” he told the media. “My job is to go to the NCA (Centre of Excellence), prepare and play matches. I’m available to play for Bengal, which proves I’m fit.” (PTI Photo)
6/7
Ishan Kishan: The wicketkeeper-batter has once again missed out on a place in the Indian squad. The 27-year-old has been out of the Indian Test setup since 2023. He also failed to make the squad for the West Indies series as Narayan Jagadeesan was picked ahead of Ishan. Agarkar also said that the selectors need to see a few more performances from the batter in domestic cricket. Since that statement, Kishan has slammed a sensational 174 Tamil Nadu in Jharkhand’s opening match of the Ranji Trophy. (AP Photo)
7/7
Navdeep Saini: When the fast bowler first broke on to the scene, Saini was expected to be the next express bowler for the Indian team. Consistently clocking over 140kmph and picking 34 wickets in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy campaign for Delhi earned him IPL contracts. But his career has been marred by injuries. He made his Test debut in the 2021 Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he also sustained a groin injury. He made his last appearance for India in June 2021. (PTI Photo)
