The cricketer had shifted base to Uttar Pradesh in 2015.
When Virat Kohli was at the helm, being fit was non-negotiable. Be it the regular routines, the yo-yo test, or being extremely agile on the field, fitness was one of the most important prerequisites to get into the Indian cricket team. The former Indian skipper was very vocal about what he expected from his team. He also openly expressed the shift in his mindset after the 2011/12 tour to Australia. However, one player who repeatedly took a beating in terms of his fitness was Sarfaraz Khan. The Mumbai batter has been doing the hard yards for a few years now. He made his Test debut under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma in Rajkot against England. But somehow, fitness remained a concern.
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In the year 2020, Virat Kohli spoke to Sarfaraz Khan about his fitness. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper made it very clear to the Mumbai-based player that it was his fitness that was holding him back from reaching his maximum potential. Kohli told Sarfaraz that while his cricketing skills were undeniable, his fitness was a concern. Five years down the line, it seems like the latter has taken that advice seriously. In a completely different avatar, Sarfaraz Khan recently took to his social media handles to share his transformation. The 27-year-old lost a massive 17 kilograms of weight in the last two months, and certainly looks more fit than before.
“I was dropped at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2016 because of my fitness. Virat Kohli told me straightaway that 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”, said Sarfaraz Khan on his communication with Virat Kohli.
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The former RCB skipper Virat Kohli was very clear about what he wanted out of Mumbai’s batter. And hence, Sarfaraz had his task cut out. He knew that work needed to be put into the process, and he needed to work hard. The batter trained hard, including more cardio in his training and incorporating necessary changes in his diet. Most importantly, he reduced his intake of sweets and junk food, and started focusing more on consuming the right kind of meals. The Mumbai domestic mainstay also expressed that his teammates used to call him ‘Panda’ because he used to eat a lot. But after his transformation, they have altered the nickname to ‘Macho.’
Sarfaraz was the youngest player to play a match in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), he scored a brisk 45 off 21 deliveries. The innings consisted of six fours and a six, and helped RCB get to a respectable total. It was after this innings that Virat Kohli bowed down to him while he was walking back to the dressing room. The franchise retained him in 2018 over some big players. But he miserably failed in the season, scoring just 51 runs in six innings. RCB released him ahead of the 2019 season. He went on to represent the Punjab Kings and also the Delhi Capitals later on.
After a successful stint with RCB in 2015, Sarfaraz shifted base to Uttar Pradesh, seeking better opportunities to play in domestic cricket. He sat out for a season, and soon chose to come back to Mumbai, to test himself for a place in the Mumbai side. He spoke about the call to shift to another state as immature. But this time, his return to the domestic side was special. Sarfaraz’s biggest break came in 2020, when he scored an unbeaten 301 against Uttar Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy fixture in Mumbai. The batter amassed 928 runs in the 2019-20 season of the Ranji Trophy. To add to that, he broke his record by scoring 982 runs in the 2022/23 season for Mumbai. His First-class average of 106.31 is among the best in the world, placing his name alongside legends like Don Bradman and Vijay Merchant.
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