Sarfaraz Khan has made a significant effort to improve his fitness, but a return to the Indian Test team remains uncertain. The Mumbai batter has shed 20 kilograms, continued to score runs in domestic cricket and stayed ready for another opportunity. However, his continued absence from the national side has left him questioning what more he needs to do to earn a recall.

Speaking after Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy fixture against Railways, Sarfaraz opened up about his fitness transformation, the disappointment of missing out on selection and the motivation that keeps him going.

Sarfaraz Khan reveals truth behind his weight loss

Sarfaraz reduced his weight from approximately 97 kilograms to 77 kilograms after working on his diet and fitness. The transformation attracted considerable attention on social media, particularly as the right-handed batter attempted to strengthen his case for a return to the Indian Test setup.

Interestingly, the Mumbai cricketer clarified that neither the Indian team management nor the Mumbai setup had directly instructed him to lose weight. Instead, he decided to work on himself after listening to comments about his fitness.

“No one told me that I have to lose weight,” Sarfaraz said. “In reality, I was overweight. There is no doubt about that.”

“No one told me that I had to lose weight. But I heard on social media, or from someone, that maybe I should lose weight. So I did it. Because whatever I hear, that I should work on something, I am doing that in my life. I can’t do anything more than that,” he added.

Sarfaraz took the criticism seriously and made the changes he believed could help him improve as a player.

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Why has Sarfaraz not returned to India’s Test team?

Sarfaraz last played a Test for India during the home series against New Zealand in 2024. He made an impressive start to his international career, scoring two half-centuries on his Test debut against England in Rajkot before registering a century against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

However, his subsequent performances against New Zealand were less productive, and he has not featured in a Test match since. Although he was part of India’s squad for the 2024-25 tour of Australia, he did not get an opportunity to play.

He was also included in the squad for the Sri Lanka Test tour in 2026 as cover for the injured Sai Sudharsan but did not feature in either match. More recently, Sarfaraz was overlooked for India A’s tour of New Zealand, another setback for a batter hoping to return to the national setup.

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