17 Kg Weight Loss, Training in Kashmir and a Cryptic Post: Sarfaraz Khan’s Fight for an India Recall

Sarfaraz Khan has been recalled to India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, replacing injured Sai Sudharsan. His comeback after 20 months follows a 17-kg weight loss, strict fitness regime, strong domestic form, and a cryptic post.

Sarfaraz Khan Earns India Test Recall

Mumbai’s middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan received his recall to the India Test squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, starting on August 15th. Sarfaraz was added to the squad after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the Sri Lanka Tests after failing to recover from a right toe stress reaction sustained during the India A tour.

Sai Sudharsan was supposed to join the India squad ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle after missing the recently concluded three-day practice match against Sri Lanka XI in Colombo. However, the BCCI medical team, which oversaw the southpaw’s rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, advised caution and ruled him out of the upcoming series to prevent further damage.

Sarfaraz Khan and Shaik Rasheed were reportedly contenders to replace Sai Sudharsan in the Test squad before the selection committee and team management opted for the Mumbai star, with his experience at the highest level understood to have worked in his favour.

Sarfaraz Khan’s Wait for a Recall Ends

Sarfaraz Khan’s recall to the India Test squad was not just a mere stroke of luck, but also patience, hope, and persistence after a prolonged period away from the national setup. Khan’s last appearance for India in the white jersey was during the home Test series against New Zealand in late 2024, wherein he scored his maiden century in Bengaluru.

Though he was added to the India squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the Mumbai batter didn’t get a single match. He was excluded from the England Test series, despite playing a strong innings of 92 for India A against England Lions in Canterbury and impressing in his Intra-squad matches.

After being excluded from the subsequent Test series, including against South Africa and West Indies, Sarfaraz Khan eventually received a recall for the Sri Lanka tour, as a replacement for injured Sai Sudharsan.

The Weight Loss Regime

Sarfaraz Khan’s fitness issues were often viewed as a barrier for the selectors, keeping him out of regular contention despite his domestic run-scoring exploits, prompting the Mumbai batter to undergo a significant weight transformation. He reportedly shed around 17 kilos in two months through a strict fitness and training regimen.

In an interview with the Hindustan Times in 2025, Sarfaraz’s father, Naushad, revealed that they had completely overhauled their household’s diets, eliminating staples like roti, rice, sugar, maida, and bakery items, and replacing them with clean proteins, fresh salads, and green coffee to fuel his remarkable fitness turnaround.

The strict diet and fitness regimen resulted in Sarfaraz Khan shedding a massive amount of weight, enabling him to improve his agility on the field and endure long, grueling hours at the crease during domestic and practice matches.

Continuing his Exploits in Domestic Cricket

After being excluded from the India squad following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sarfaraz Khan returned to domestic cricket. He even played in the Kanga League last year, representing Payyade Sports Club.

In the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, Sarfaraz aggregated 429 runs, including a double century and a fifty, at an average of 53.62 in seven matches. He also performed well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, aggregating 303 runs, including a century and 2 fifties, at an average of 75.75 and a strike rate of 190.56 in six matches.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Sarfaraz Khan aggregated 329 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 65.80 and an impressive strike rate of 203.08 in seven matches. Across formats in the last domestic season, Sarfaraz aggregated 1,061 runs, proving his versatility, elite run-scoring touch, and readiness to reclaim his spot in the national team.

Training in Kashmir

Sarfaraz Khan has reportedly spent his off-season training in Kashmir after his last competitive appearance in the Mumbai T20 League, continuing his fitness work and preparation ahead of a potential India recall. His connection to Kashmir also runs deep, with his wife Romana Zahoor hailing from Shopian.

According to local reports in Kashmir, the 28-year-old spent hours training at Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Kashmir. The move to Kashmir was prompted by monsoon rains in Mumbai, which disrupted his sleeping schedule and thus made the facilities in Kashmir as an alternative to his training.

Though Kashmir offered a peaceful environment and high-altitude conditions to maintain his rigorous practice schedule, it also allowed him to stay close to family during the off-season.

The Instagram Post That Went Viral

Ahead of his return to the India squad fr the Test series against Sri Lanka, Sarfaraz Khan grabbed the attention of the fans and cricket enthusiasts by posting a cryptic post, which was widely interpreted as a message of determination amid his continued Test snub, despite his exploits in domestic cricket.

“I may not fit in, but I’ll fight,” Sarfaraz wrote in the post, highlighting his unwavering determination to keep pushing forward in his cricketing career regardless of the setbacks. The post garnered a wave of reactions, and a few days later, the Mumbai batter received a recall to the India Test squad.

As Sarfaraz returned to the India Test side after 20 months, it remains to be seen whether the team management will accommodate him in the playing XI, especially given the fierce competition in the middle order and the team's ongoing tactical combinations for subcontinental conditions.