Mumbai: Two Mumbai cricketers on either side of the spectrum went through contrasting fortunes as the national selectors, led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, on Tuesday announced the 15-man India A squads for the two four-day matches against South Africa A at the at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The first match will be played from Oct 30-Nov 2, the second game will be played from Nov 6 to 9.While seasoned batter Sarfaraz Khan was ignored from the squad, despite having scored 92 against the England Lions in Canterbury and 100 not out against India (the attack included Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep) in an intra-squad match during India A ‘s tour of England this summer, 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre was fast-tracked into the India A squad for the first match of the series despite an ordinary tour while captaining the India Under-19 team on their recent tour of Australia.
A prolific domestic batter, Sarfaraz averages 65.19 in 56 matches in first-class cricket. Sarfaraz averages 117.47 in first-class cricket over the last five years, with five fifties and 10 hundreds, amassing 2, 467 runs in this period. In a bid to answer those who criticised his fitness, the 27-year-old reduced as much as 17 kg of weight earlier this year, scored runs against England (averaged 50 in three Tests) and New Zealand (slammed 150 in the first Test at Bengaluru) in the 2024-25 home Test season. The doors to the Indian team have been firmly closed on him ever since he didn’t get to play a single Test in Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Returning from a quadriceps injury which forced him to miss the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup, the Mumbaikar scored 42 & 32, and looked in good rhythm according to those who were present at the venue.Justifying Sarfaraz’s surprising exclusion from the India A red-ball team, a source in the BCCI told TOI, “It’s not correct that he’s not even in the scheme of things for the Indian Test team or the doors have been closed on him. He’s a talented player. The reality is that the selectors want to ensure that Sarfaraz gets to play as many matches in the Ranji Trophy as possible after his return from injury. He would’ve missed the next few rounds of the Ranji Trophy had he been included in this side. There was a thought to include him in the side for the second match, but then all the India players, like KJL Rahul are keen to play in that game to gain match practice ahead of the home two-Test series against South Africa.”Meanwhile, Mhatre, a talented teenaged opener, managed to score just 38 runs @ 12.66 in the two test matches against the Australia Under-19 team, and 10 runs in three matches @ 3.33 in the Youth OD series prior to that. Appearing a bit surprised at his son’s inclusion in the India A squad for the first time, Ayush’s father Yogesh Mhatre told TOI, “It’s a surprise Diwali gift for us. It’s a golden opportunity for him. This season isn’t going great for him, but he’s still been given a good platform to perform. I must salute the selectors’ thinking behind investing in him.”“Ayush wasn’t scoring runs in Australia, but was happy that India won all the matches on that tour. The players were also happy with his captaincy,” Yogesh revealed.In Aug, Mhatre, who put an impressive show for the Chennai Super Kings in his debut season in IPL-25, had captained Mumbai in the Buchi Babu Tournament, a pre-season event. The Virar lad had done well for India in the Youth test series in England in July, scoring 102 & 32 in the first test at Beckenham & 80 & 126 off 80 balls at Chelmsford against the England Under-19s.Since his first-class debut in Oct last year, Mhatre has amassed 504 runs in nine matches, including two centuries and a fifty. In seven List A games, he has already scored 458 runs, with two hundreds to his name.Meanwhile, the national selectors ignored left-arm spinning allrounder Shams Mulani, who took seven for 46 and scored 91 to star in Mumbai’s thrilling 35-run win over Jammu & Kashmir Mumbai in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy at Srinagar a few days back.Respite for RahaneMeanwhile, veteran batsman Ajinkya Rahane, under pressure after scoring just 27 & 0 in the first match of the 2025-26 season of the Ranji Trophy, was offered a respite as the Mumbai selectors chose to retain the squad for the second match, against Chhattisgarh at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s ground in BKC from Oct 25. Mumbai will, however, have to name a replacement for Mhatre, who will be busy with India A duty.
