IND vs SL: R Ashwin tells team management to define Sarfaraz Khan's role in India team: ‘You need to tell him…’

Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has urged the Indian team management to provide clarity to batter Sarfaraz Khan after he was named in the squad for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.

Khan was named as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan for the Test series that gets underway from Saturday.

The 28-year-old has not played a Test for India since November 2024. Asked to choose between Dhruv Jurel and Khan for India's playing XI, Ashwin said, “I'll start with Jurel.”

Ravichandran Ashwin calls for clarity on Sarfaraz Khan's role

"You need to tell him that he can serve the team in sub-continental conditions," Ashwin opined while speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.

The 28-year-old made his Test debut against England in February 2024 and immediately made an impression, scoring three half-centuries in his first three innings.

He finished his debut series with 200 runs across five innings, including scoring two 50s. Overall, the Mumbai cricketer has played six Test matches and has scored 371 runs at an average of 37.10. He has registered three fifties and one century.

However, since 2024, he has struggled to establish himself as a regular in India's Test side. He was part of the India squad that toured Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. However, he didn’t get to play a single game in that series.

His opportunities have also been affected by the competition for places in the middle order, with players such as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and other options competing for spots.

"So that way, even Sarfaraz won't waste his time on the rest of the things. He can focus on playing good spin, and he can become the king of the sub-continental conditions. He can build his career. If you feel he cannot work in certain conditions, then communicate that to him,” he added.

With India set to play two Tests in Sri Lanka, Khan could potentially come into contention if the team management opts for an additional specialist batter.

For Khan, the Sri Lanka series could provide an opportunity not only to make a comeback but also to establish his suitability for India's plans in sub-continent conditions.

Jurel, on the other hand, has had mixed outings recently. He scored an unbeaten century for India A in the first unofficial Test, and followed it up with a knock of 53 in the second Test. However, he could just manage scores of 1 and 17 in India’s practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI last week.

After the first Test, India and Sri Lanka will then travel to Colombo for the second Test, which will get underway from 23 August.