Kevin Pietersen praised Sarfaraz Khan's impressive weight loss after being overlooked for the England Test tour. Khan's dedication to fitness has garnered attention, with Pietersen even urging Prithvi Shaw to follow suit.
Former England captain turned cricket commentator Kevin Pietersen was left stunned by Team India batter Sarfaraz Khan’s fitness transformation. After being snubbed for the ongoing England Test tour, Sarfaraz worked hard on his fitness in order to make his comeback into the national team.
Sarfaraz Khan was ignored by the BCCI selectors for the ongoing Test series against England. In the place of right-handed batter, the selection committee picked Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sai Sudharsan, and Karun Nair, raising eyebrows among fans and experts alike, given his consistent domestic performance and a dream Test series debut against England at home in 2024.
Over the last year, Sarfaraz was criticized for maintaining standard fitness levels required for international cricket, with many attributing his omission from the national squad for the England Test series. The 27-year-old was part of India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, but did not get a single game throughout the five-match Test series in Australia.
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Sarfaraz Khan’s weight loss stuns Kevin Pietersen
Sarfaraz Khan underwent massive fitness transformation over the last couple of months, reportedly losing a massive 17 kilograms of weight. The youngster took to his Instagram story and shared a mirror selfie of his lean physique, leaving internet users stunned.
Sarfaraz’s massive weight loss did not go unnoticed in the eyes of Kevin Pietersen, who lauded the youngster’s dedication and ‘reorganizing’ priorities after being ignored by the selectors. The former England captain urged Prithvi Shaw to take inspiration from Sarfaraz Khan’s weight transformation.
“Outstanding effort, young man! Huge congrats, and I’m sure it’s going to lead to better and more consistent performances on the field. I love the time you’ve spent reorganising your priorities!” Pietersen wrote on X.
“LFG! Can someone show Prithvi this, please? It can be done! Strong body, strong mind!” he added.
Before undergoing fitness transformation, Sarfaraz Khan was reportedly weighed between 70-75 kilograms. was reportedly weighed between 90-92 kilograms, meaning he has shed close to 17-20 kilograms over the past few months.
Prithvi Shaw faced fitness and disciplinary issues
Prithvi Shaw, who recently acquired a non-objection certificate from Mumbai Cricket Association to represent Maharashtra Cricket Team as a ‘professional’ player in the upcoming domestic season 2025-26, was at the centre of debate for his fitness and disciplinary issues.
His fitness and disciplinary issues led to his exclusion from Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad midway through the season, and he has not played for the 42-time champions since December last year. Shaw’s fitness issues became for team management and selectors, with questions raised about his commitment and professionalism.
Prithvi Shaw has been out of the national selectors’ radar since 2021. He received a big career setback when he went unsold at the IPL 2025 Auction. Shaw participated in the Mumbai T20 League, where he played for North Mumbai Panthers and aggregated 137 runs at an average of 27.40 in 5 matches.
