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'Can somehow show this to Prithvi Shaw?' Pietersen tells axed India star to open his eyes as Sarfaraz Khan loses weight
Kevin Pietersen was stunned to see Sarfaraz Khan's weight loss and is wondering whether Prithvi Shaw is taking any inspiration.
Sarfaraz Khan has changed, and how? The India batter, who, despite putting up a string of impressive performances, was ignored for the tour of England, has sent a loud and clear message to BCCI, the selection committee, and its chairman, Ajit Agarkar. He is down 17 kilos and looks unrecognisable. The weight-loss journey that Sarfaraz embarked on a couple of months ago has yielded a stunning result. Often trolled for his build and physique, Sarfaraz has lost oodles of weight and is bidding to push for a spot in India’s Test XI, which needs replacements after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Sarfaraz was part of India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but unfortunately, he didn’t get a play a single game. He was subsequently dropped for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, after which, Sarfaraz made it a point to shed weight and bring out a version of himself never seen before. Sarfaraz’s transformation has taken the internet by storm, including Kevin Pietersen. The former England captain was taken aback by how different Sarfaraz looks, and while he couldn’t keep calm seeing his incredible transformation, Pietersen had a question for Prithvi Shaw.
"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! Can someone show Prithvi this, please? It can be done! Strong body, strong mind," Pietersen posted on X.
Here's what Pietersen had to say:
Sarfaraz last played for India in the Test series against New Zealand during last year’s home season. Despite scoring a brilliant 150 in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz only played a couple of matches more before being dropped. As for Shaw, the ignored India batter has been dealing with his own set of issues. He parted ways with Mumbai and has linked up with Maharashtra, for whom he will be playing the upcoming domestic season.
In a recent interview, Shaw admitted that he mistakenly took up some bad habits in the company of some wrong people, but the former India Under-19 World Cup-winning captain is also determined to get back in shape. Up until 2022, Shaw had started to gain weight, but it was in 2023 that he really got big. Disciplinary issues led to his ouster from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team as his stocks started to plummet. Speaking to News24 India, Shaw vowed to reclaim his old fitness and physique, with which he lifted the ICC trophy and made his debut in 2018.
"It’s raining these days, so I basically train indoors, where I bat for 1 to 1.5 hours, and it also includes the usual drills," Shaw said. "A little more time and I will be of the same size as I was in 2018. You can compare a photo from that year and look at the difference."
