Whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors have been hesitant to choose some of the top players in domestic red-ball contests for the Test team is one of the increasingly contentious issues in Indian cricket.
And Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is a huge fan of cricket and frequently shares his thoughts on the subject on his 'X' account.
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Despite their regular performance in domestic cricket, players like Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran have not had the opportunity they would have anticipated. Before losing favor, Sarfaraz participated in six Test matches in 2024. However, after being a part of the Indian team in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and Border-Gavaskar series, Easwaran was left out of the squad for the most recent Test series against the West Indies.
Tharoor backed Sarfaraz, who scored 74 runs in two innings during Mumbai's thrilling outright victory over Jammu and Kashmir in their Ranji Trophy 2025–26 opening match. Tharoor criticized the selectors for not giving established players a chance and instead betting on players they thought had potential.
This is frankly an outrage. @SarfarazA_54 averages 65-plus in first class cricket, scored a 50 on Test debut and a 150 in a Test we lost, made 92 in his only tour match in England (and a century in the practice match against the full Indian Test team) -- and still finds himself excluded from the selectors' frame of reference," Tharoor wrote on X.
He also conveyed his happiness after players like Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, and Karun Nair scored heavily in the Ranji Trophy second-round matches. Instead of only honoring IPL accomplishments, Tharoor advised the selectors to prioritize domestic performances.
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"I am also very glad to see @ajinkyarahane88, @PrithviShaw and @karun126 making runs in the #RanjiTrophy. Our selectors are too quick to discard proven talent in order to take a punt on "potential". These are players who have proven themselves over and over again. Runs in domestic cricket must be valued by the selectors, not just the #IPL; otherwise why should anyone bother to play the Ranji?" Tharoor added.
Prior to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Sarfaraz scored 92 against the England Lions. However, an injury caused his campaign in the UK to end too soon.
He has since put a lot of effort into improving his physical fitness and appears to be in the greatest shape of his career. But when he was left out of India A's side to play South Africa A in two unofficial Test matches beginning on Thursday, October 30, he was dealt a severe blow.
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