Sarfaraz Khan was dropped from the Test squad for the England tour.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen lauded India’s rising sensation Sarfaraz Khan for his stunning transformation via a social media post. Pietersen also offered a motivational message to Indian cricketer Prithvi Shaw. Sarfaraz, who had critics questioning his fitness for a long time despite consistency, has lost 17 kg of body weight. Pietersen’s post came after the 26-year-old shared his photo from the gym displaying his progress. Notably, the right-hand batter, who went unsold in the mega auction, had already lost 10 kgs on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
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“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!” wrote Pietersen on his X handle.
After getting picked up in the IPL 2025 mega auction, Sarfraz worked hard on his fitness and prepared for the England tour. But the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee overlooked the Mumbai batter. However, he was named in the India A squad, where he played his first unofficial Test against the England Lions. The right-hand batter amassed a 92-run fifty inning in his lone outing.
Former England batter heaped praise on Sarfaraz Khan for making the most of the off-season, working on his fitness and preparation. The 26-year-old made his Test debut against England last year and announced himself by hitting three fifties on the trot. He then registered his best score of 150 against New Zealand in Bengaluru, but the right-handed batter hasn’t quite managed to cement his place in the team. He didn’t get a chance to play in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
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Former England skipper’s post not appreciated the Indian batter for his fitness transformation. He mentioned that mindset and fitness go hand in hand. Without directly criticising him, Pietersen encouraged Prithvi Shaw to take inspiration from Sarfaraz’s journey. Pietersen isn’t calling Shaw out; rather, he’s urging him to take charge of his narrative.
“LFG! Can someone show Prithvi this, please? It can be done! Strong body, strong mind!” wrote Pietersen.
However, Shaw has recently admitted that he was in contact with the wrong people and lost his focus on people. Shaw opened up about the distractions that derailed his commitment.
“I have taken a lot of wrong decisions in life. I started giving less time to cricket. I used to practice a lot. For example, I used to bat for 3-4 hours in nets. I never got tired of batting. I used to go to the ground for half a day. I admit that there was a distraction,” Shaw told News24. “I made some wrong friends. Because I was at the top at that time. Friendship is also formed. Then they took me here and there. All those things. Then I got away from the track. I used to give 8 hours of practice on the ground. Now it is 4 hours.”
Why Prithvi Shaw Wasn’t Get Picked in IPL 2025 Auction
Prithvi Shaw has been the part with the Delhi Capitals (DC) since he led India to the U-19 World Cup triumph in 2018 and was bought for 1.2 Crores. The Mumbai batter was retained by DC in the IPL 2022 mega auction for a whopping INR 7.5 Crore. Shaw scored just 198 runs in the 2024 season from 8 matches and 106 runs in as many games in 2023. His struggles saw him getting released from the squad ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, where no franchise showed interest in the 25-year-old. In the 79 matches, Shaw has racked up 1892 runs at an average of 23.95 and a strike-rate of 147.47. He also scored 14 fifties during this time. He is one of the only two batters to hit six fours in an over in IPL history.
Shaw was also dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team last year due to poor fitness and lack of discipline. He last played for Mumbai in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) against Madhya Pradesh in December 2024, which his side won by five wickets. However, the 25-year-old has changed his Ranji Trophy team and move to Maharashtra ahead of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season.
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