Former India batting great Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan for his inclusion in India’s squad for the next Test series.

It’s time for the next generation of the Indian stars to make their way to the Test team as most of India’s batting stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are in their 30s already. And 24-year-old Sarfaraz Khan has made a strong case for himself after enjoying an excellent run of form in this Ranji Trophy season.

The youngster has scored heaps of runs and propelled Mumbai to the Ranji Final with his big impactful knocks. In the course of the season, Sarfaraz amassed 982 runs from just six Tests, at an average of 122.75. That includes four centuries and six fifties as well. Now the demands for his inclusion in the Indian Test side have grown even stronger with Gavaskar also backing him.

The former India great thinks that India should pick him in the squad in the Test series after the Edgbaston Test.

“Sarfaraz Khan’s tremendous run of hundreds should bring him into contention for a place in the national team where with Rahane gone and Pujara getting one last chance to score and keep his place in the team and go on to play a century of Test matches the door could open for Sarfaraz. He certainly has banged the selection committee’s door down and it would be a real surprise if his name doesn’t figure in the squad for the next Test series,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

India’s next Test series will most probably be against Australia at home, just after the T20 World Cup. Apart from Sarfaraz, there are a few other players that have impressed Gavaskar and he didn’t shy away from naming them either.

“There are some others too like Rajat Patidar who has also been tremendously consistent in what has been a breakthrough season for him. India are blessed to have such talent which is keeping the seniors on their toes and ensuring there is no room for complacency at all,” Gavaskar added.