Shama Mohamed, the national spokesperson of Congress, has taken aim at how cricket selections are made in India, saying that head coach Gautam Gambhir is biased against Sarfaraz Khan, for religious reasons, in not choosing him for national senior assignments. On X, Mohamed asked if Sarfaraz is not considered ‘because of his surname,’ after Sarfaraz was selected for the India A squad, and nobody thought he would not be selected, as he is a fine performer at the domestic level.
Shama Mohamed Targets Gautam Gambhir Over Sarfaraz Khan’s Exclusion
Sarfaraz Khan is a prolific batsman based in Mumbai who represented India last in a home series against New Zealand in November 2024 and then was not selected on major tours external of that to Australia and England, despite indicative fitness and foreplay, the national selection panel when pressed said he was being weighed up with injury and other matters, but everyone in Indian cricket seems to think inconsistently. For now, Sarfaraz will continue with his domestic campaign, he is still an elite first class auditor with an average over 65 across 56 matches and had begun the current Ranji season in good form. Others in the cricketing fraternity like Sanjay Manjrekar have also revaluated his selection decisions not selecting an in form audit.
Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname ! #justasking . We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) October 22, 2025
Sarfaraz Khan’s Exclusion From India A Squad
The involvement of Mohamed incites a strong reaction and splits opinion among Sarfaraz’s advocates and others who claim that minority community players are subject to biases that aren’t explicit, and those opposed, especially selectors who assert that selection decisions are complex, and not simply about surnames or religion. Former minister Mohsin Raza asked those opposing Sarfaraz’s selection, at the least, not to politicise a selection decision. The dispute emphasises the difficultly of maintaining a sense of meritocracy and governance based on perceived identity in Indian cricket. As Sarfaraz continues to perform strongly and more attention shifts to these issues, the focus will remain on how the selectors and management respond to public scrutiny at the moment, and if the controversy impacts future squad selection.
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