Sarfaraz Khan has surprised everyone with his new look. The batter, once criticised for his poor fitness, now looks lean, strong and confident. His transformation has gone viral with many praising the effort he has put in off the field despite his exclusion from the Indian Test team for the series against England.
Sarfaraz’s fitness had always been a concern, even when his batting form was good. But this is not the first time he has worked hard to change that. He had a similar turning point a few years ago, thanks to a straight-forward talk from Virat Kohli during his early Indian Premier League (IPL) days.
Sarfaraz Khan played under Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2015 to 2018. In 2016, he was dropped from the team. That’s when Kohli, known for his strict fitness standards, gave him some honest feedback.
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Sarfaraz Khan Credits Virat Kohli for Fitness Transformation
The foundation for this shift was laid back in 2016 when Sarfaraz was dropped from RCB after struggling with fitness. It was not a selector or coach who broke the news but the RCB captain himself, Kohli, who did not mince his words.
The remarks may have been hard to hear, but they stuck with him. Years later, Sarfaraz reflected on the impact it had.
"I felt good not just about my improved fitness but because it helped me score runs and get a lead. At one point, all my team-mates used to call me ‘panda’ because I used to eat a lot. Now, they’ve started calling me ‘macho’. Actually, very few people know it’s my nickname now," Sarfaraz said as quoted by Times Now.
"I was dropped at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2016 because of my fitness. Virat Kohli told me straightaway while there were no doubts over my skills, my fitness was not letting me get to the next level. He was very honest with me about where I was," he added.
The Diet and Fitness Routine Behind Sarfaraz Khan’s Transformation
Sarfaraz’s recent fitness boost is the result of a strict routine at home, guided by his father and coach, Naushad Khan. Ahead of the India A tour earlier this year, they made major changes to their diet.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Naushad had revealed the extent of their lifestyle changes.
"We have controlled our diet a lot. We have stopped eating roti, rice, etc. We haven't eaten roti or rice at home for 1 to 1.5 months. We eat broccoli, carrot, cucumber, salad, and green vegetable salad. Along with that, we eat grilled fish, grilled chicken, boiled chicken, boiled egg, etc. We are also having green tea and green coffee," Naushad said as quoted to Hindustan Times.
"We eat avocados also. There are sprouts also. But the main thing is that we have stopped eating roti and rice. We have stopped eating sugar. We have stopped eating maida (flour) and bakery items."
The results have been remarkable. Sarfaraz dropped close to 10 kilos in just over a month and continues to maintain his leaner, stronger frame. Naushad himself lost 12 kilos in the process.
"He has almost lost 10 kgs within 1.5 months. He is working on reducing his weight even further. I have reduced 12 kgs myself because I had a knee issue. So, I also benefited from it. The doctor told me that I have to do a knee replacement. So, I told him that I had to delay it. He told me that I have to reduce my weight for that," Naushad shared.
Sarfaraz is not in India’s current Test squad against England but his transformation has undoubtedly kept him in the reckoning. With his skill set never in doubt, the new, fitter version of Sarfaraz may just be the final piece of the puzzle that selectors have been waiting for.
