Sarfaraz Khan's aspirations for an India comeback have suffered a significant setback as he has been ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy due to a quadriceps injury. The 27-year-old middle-order batter sustained the injury while scoring a century against Haryana in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament. He is expected to be sidelined for three weeks and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

This injury is a major blow to Sarfaraz's hopes of regaining his place in the Indian Test side. He had been working hard on his fitness, reportedly losing 17 kgs in the off-season, and was aiming to impress the selectors with a strong performance in the Duleep Trophy. The Duleep Trophy was seen as a crucial opportunity for Sarfaraz to stake his claim for a spot in the middle order for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies, which begins on October 2.

Sarfaraz made his Test debut against England in Rajkot last year and has played six Tests, all at home, scoring 371 runs at an average of 37.10, including one century and three fifties. He was not included in the Indian team for the recent tour of Australia and the subsequent series against England.

The West Zone selectors are likely to name Shivalik Sharma from Baroda as Sarfaraz's replacement in the Duleep Trophy squad. Sarfaraz's absence will undoubtedly be felt by the West Zone team, as he was expected to play a key role in their campaign.

Meanwhile, concerns have risen around Mohammed Shami's fitness. Shami's return to red-ball cricket in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final between East Zone and North Zone was marred by a toe injury. He managed just one wicket across both innings. East Zone skipper Riyan Parag revealed that Shami had rolled over on his toe, with a spike from his shoe worsening the injury, which prevented him from bowling further in the match.

Shami's injury has raised concerns about his rhythm, fitness, and future with Team India. Although he cleared the "Bronco test" at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, doubts persist regarding his match fitness. Shami last played a Test match in the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023. He was not considered for the England Tests due to fitness concerns and was also left out of the Asia Cup squad. Despite these setbacks, Shami has expressed his determination to continue playing domestic cricket and working hard to regain his place in the Indian team.