Sarfaraz Khan has earned his way back into the Indian Test squad, ending a 19-month wait that tested his patience and his resolve in equal measure. The Mumbai batter replaced the injured Sai Sudharsan in the squad for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, and the timing could not have been more fitting.
Just two days before the announcement, Sarfaraz had posted a photo from the film “Jersey” on Instagram, with a caption that hinted at his frustration over being overlooked despite piling up runs in the Ranji Trophy. Once the selectors called his name, he shared pictures of himself in the India travel jersey, and by Monday he was training with the squad in Colombo, drawing attention from everyone at the nets.
A Transformation Years in the Making
Sarfaraz’s fitness has been a recurring talking point through much of his career. Critics questioned whether his body shape suited the demands of international cricket. However, Sunil Gavaskar publicly dismissed that line of criticism, insisting that performance and match fitness carry far more weight than appearance. Sarfaraz did not dismiss the criticism outright. Instead, he used it as motivation.
Ahead of his selection for the India A tour of England last year, he began a structured fitness overhaul. The timing coincided with a difficult stretch in his white-ball career, during which he went unsold in the IPL auction for two consecutive seasons. When Chennai Super Kings picked him up ahead of IPL 2026, he treated it as fresh momentum and pushed harder in training. Over the following year, he lost 17 kilograms, and the change is now visible on the field, where he looks leaner and considerably sharper.
The effort has not been Sarfaraz’s alone. His father and longtime coach, Naushad Khan, was advised by doctors to lose weight urgently to avoid knee replacement surgery. He shed 12 kilograms in a single month last year and has since become an active partner in his son’s routine rather than just an observer of it.
Discipline That Runs Through the Household
The Khan household now follows a demanding daily schedule built around fitness. Both father and son spend at least an hour in the gym six days a week. Naushad walks briskly while Sarfaraz jogs for close to an hour, and the family adds a 30-minute swim session on top of that routine. Their diet has changed just as sharply. Rice and wheat flour have been removed entirely, replaced by sauteed vegetables, boiled chicken, boiled eggs, green tea, and black coffee, with cooking oil kept to a minimum. Biryani, once a household staple, is now reserved for rare occasions rather than regular meals.
On the eve of Sarfaraz’s departure for Colombo, Naushad posted a reel addressed to both his sons, Sarfaraz and Musheer, reminding them that sustained effort eventually pays off. For a family that has remained closely involved in Sarfaraz’s cricketing journey at every stage, the message carried more significance than a routine send-off.
The road back to the Test side was far from straightforward. Last year, national selectors left Sarfaraz out of the India A home series against South Africa A, explaining that they had seen enough of his batting already and wanted to give other players an opportunity. The decision stung given his domestic numbers, but Sarfaraz continued scoring runs, training, and waiting for another chance.
The three-day warm-up game in Colombo concluded on Sunday. Sarfaraz now has a brief window to fine-tune his preparation before the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka gets underway.
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