Rohit Sharma sends message to Sarfaraz Khan and Rinku Singh Ahead of IND vs WI first Test

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Rohit Sharma sent an indirect message to Sarfaraz Khan and Rinku Singh on the eve of the first Test match between India and West Indies which will kick off from Wednesday, July 12 in Dominica.

Notably, Sarfaraz and Rinku did not find place in India's Test and T20I squads respectively for the all-format tour of West Indies which starts with the first Test.

The exclusion of the two players created a major buzz on social media with fans slamming the BCCI and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel. Rinku Singh finished the IPL 2023 season as the leading run-scorer for KKR. The 25-year-old southpaw scored 474 runs in 14 matches at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52.

Sarfaraz Khan, on the other hand, scored 982 runs in six matches at an average of 122.75 in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 season. In the following season, the southpaw scored 556 runs in six matches at an average of 92.66. In the 2019-20 season, the 25-year-old scored 928 runs in six matches at an average of 154.66.

The Mumbai batter has been waiting for a Test call-up for quite some time now but teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal and Maharashtra's Ruturaj Gaikwad have got nods ahead of him. Rinku has been pipped by Mumbai Indians star Tilak Varma in the T20I setup.

Rohit congratulated the new players in the team for being paid for their hard work before saying that a few other deserving candidates will also get the chance in future.

"Obviously these names (Jaiswal and Gaikwad) are quite exciting for Indian cricket moving forward. You know they have put hard yards in domestic cricket and they have been rewarded for it. All these guys were in the radar, selectors were watching them closely and I am glad they have been rewarded," Rohit told reporters.

"There are a couple of guys who have missed out. Unfortunately, you can only pick 15-16 players in the squad. But everyone's time will come. That is what I want to say," he added.

Following the two-Test series, India will play three ODI games and five T20I matches against West Indies. Reports have suggested that Rinku Singh will make his debut in the Ireland T20I series in August.