Sarfaraz Khan OUT of IND vs BAN 2nd Test at Kanpur

Young India batter Sarfaraz Khan is all set to miss the second Test between India and Bangladesh, which will be played at Green Park, Kanpur from September 27. Instead, Sarfaraz is likely to appear for Mumbai in the upcoming Irani Cup against Rest of India.

Sarfaraz was in India's squad for the first Test in Chennai. However, he did not get a chance in the Playing XI as the team management preferred KL Rahul over him.

He was seen fielding as a substitute a no. of times and was also seen working on his strength with the strength & conditioning coach after the day's play.

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Sarfaraz Khan likely to miss 2nd Test vs Bangladesh at Kanpur

Sarfaraz Khan has already been selected in India's squad for the second Test but is unlikely to play. It is believed that the team management is likely to back KL Rahul for the second Test.

Rahul scored 16 in the first innings and finished unbeaten on 22 during the match as he batted at No. 6, below Rishabh Pant.

With Sarfaraz unlikely to get a game, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to release him from the Indian squad to allow him to be available for the Irani Cup fixture between Mumbai and the Rest of India.

According to a source, Ajit Agarkar wants Sarfaraz Khan to play in the Irani Cup rather than warming the bench during the second Test.

The source also claimed that going from Lucknow to Kanpur is not that difficult and Sarfaraz will fly back to the India squad in case any need arises.

"India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar is keen that barring any last-minute injuries in the nets or fitness issues to any of the main batsmen in Team India, Sarfaraz (Khan) should be released from the main squad to allow him to play in the Irani Cup," a source said to TOI.

"In any case, it takes just about an hour to reach Lucknow from Kanpur, so Sarfaraz Khan can leave for Lucknow even much after the Kanpur Test has begun," the source added.

Irani Cup schedule

The Irani Cup is played every year between the defending champions of Ranji Trophy and the Rest of India team, which consists of the best players from the remaining teams. The Irani Cup will be played at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow from October 1-5.

Sarfaraz Khan's availability will be a huge boost for Mumbai as he has scored loads of runs in domestic cricket over the years. The 26-year-old has scored 4183 runs in 50 first-class matches at an average of 66.39 with 14 hundreds and 14 fifties.

He is likely to bat in the middle order. With him, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shreyas Iyer, the middle order of Mumbai looks ever so strong. Ajinkya Rahane has been appointed the captain and is likely to lead the team in the Ranji Trophy as well after taking Mumbai to the title win last year.