New Delhi – Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed on Wednesday stoked a controversy when she asked whether Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan was not selected in the India A cricket squad“because of his surname”.

She also appeared to take a jibe at the Indian team's coach, Gautam Gambhir, saying,“We know” where he stands on the matter.

The Congress leader's remarks drew a sharp retort from the BJP, with the ruling party's spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, asking her to keep her“dirty political communal agenda” out of cricket.

On Tuesday, when the national selection committee picked the Indian squad for the two first-class games against South Africa A, Khan didn't find his name in the two separate squads to be led by Rishabh Pant.

Social media erupted over the exclusion of 28-year-old Khan, who has recently shed a lot of weight and has scored heavily in India's domestic cricket in the recent years, as people asked what more he could do to secure a call-up.

In a post on X, Congress leader Mohamed said,“Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname?” #justasking. We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter.”

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