Sarfaraz Khan named Sai Sudharsan’s replacement for Sri Lanka Tests

The Indian team will tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series starting August 15th. The BCCI has already announced the squad for this tour. Batsman Sai Sudharsan, who was selected based on fitness, was ruled out on August 8th due to lack of fitness. The BCCI has now announced the replacement player for Sai Sudharsan, marking the return of Sarfaraz Khan to the Indian team after a long hiatus. Sarfaraz last played a Test match in November 2024. The BCCI announced that Sarfaraz Khan will join the Indian team before the first Test in Galle.

Sarfaraz Khan, who has been included in the squad as a replacement for Sai Sudharsan for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, last played in a Test series against New Zealand at home in November 2024. Since then, Sarfaraz Khan has not had a chance to play. In his Test career, he has played in six Test matches, batting in 11 innings, and has managed to score 371 runs at an average of 37.1. During this period, he has also scored three half-centuries and one century.

Team India’s squad: Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnur Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.

CoE chief VVS Laxman defends injured players

Around eleven key players of the Indian cricket team are currently battling fitness issues. While the names of Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were included in the Test squad announced for the Sri Lanka tour, they too have been ruled out of the series due to not being fully fit. Now, regarding the problem of injured players, VVS Laxman, head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where most of the players are undergoing rehabilitation process to recover from their injuries, has defended the injured players, saying that players are not machines who recover on time every time.

Regarding the injuries to several key players of Team India, VVS Laxman said, “I don’t think it’s a cause for concern. But when a player plays at the top level, he’s expected to give his best. Injuries are a part of any player’s career. If you constantly worry about avoiding injury, you won’t be able to play to your full potential. Injuries shouldn’t always be viewed as a negative thing, but rather as a natural part of the game.”

“I just want to play, cannot predict about the future,” says Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar declined to worry too much about the future when he asked about his chances of making the ODI World Cup squad. Bhuvi clearly stated that his current focus is on playing and performing well, rather than speculating about what lies ahead. When asked if his recent performances in white-ball cricket—including the IPL and domestic competitions—could earn him a spot in the 2027 ODI World Cup team, Bhuvi told IANS, “I just want to play, and I am playing. I cannot predict what will happen after that.” Bhuvneshwar Kumar last played for Team India in 2022 and has not received an opportunity since then.

Jacques Kallis is the greatest cricketer of all time: Brett Lee

India’s legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is widely considered the greatest cricketer of all time, but former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has a different opinion on this matter. Lee chose South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis over Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest player of all time, or GOAT. However, he called Sachin the best batsman he had ever seen.

Sachin Tendulkar has 100 centuries in international cricket and is the only batsman in the world to achieve this feat. Jacques Kallis, on the other hand, excelled not only in batting but also in bowling and fielding. Speaking on the BeerBiceps podcast, Lee said that for him, Sachin is the best batsman ever, but when it comes to being the most complete cricketer, Kallis surpasses him. Lee said that he has always said that, “Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman, but the best cricketer is Jacques Kallis. His statistics are the best in the world. If you look at his statistics, the statistics don’t lie. He is incredible.”

Jake Libby overtakes Ruturaj Gaikwad to register highest List A average

England’s Jake Libby has overtaken Ruturaj Gaikwad to take the number one spot, and has changed the picture regarding the best batting average in List A cricket. Jake Libby scored an unbeaten 109 against Sussex on Friday. This marked his third consecutive 109-run innings. He had previously scored 109 against Essex and Middlesex. This impressive form has directly benefited his List A record. Libby now tops the list with an average of 61.4. 33-year-old Jake Libby played his first List A match in 2019.

So far, he has scored 2,456 runs in 53 innings across 56 matches, remaining unbeaten 13 times. Libby has scored six centuries and 18 half-centuries in his List A career, with a highest score of 126. Notably, he has not yet played an international match for England. Ruturaj, who plays domestic cricket for Maharashtra, made his List A debut in 2017. He has scored 5,334 runs in 104 matches so far. During this period, Ruturaj has scored 21 centuries and 20 half-centuries. His batting average is 58.61.

For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on Instagram, X and YouTube