New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has praised Sarfaraz Khan for his hard work and dedication, after the middle-order batter from Mumbai lost nearly 17 kilograms in a bid to revive his India career.

Sarfaraz Khan, who was not picked for India’s ongoing Test series against England, has spent the last few months working on his body and mindset. After going unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, he teamed up with his father — also his coach — and focused on fitness.

His efforts came after Karun Nair was preferred over him for the England tour, making a surprise comeback after eight years. But Sarfaraz didn’t let the setback break him. Instead, he trained harder and has now become a talking point for the right reasons.

“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! LFG!” Pietersen wrote on X.

In the same post, Pietersen took a dig at Prithvi Shaw, who has been in the news for his lack of fitness and form. “Can someone show Prithvi this, please? It can be done! Strong body, strong mind!” he added.

On the other hand, Shaw’s story has been different. He was dropped by the Mumbai selectors last year from a Ranji Trophy match after reports claimed his body fat was around 35 percent. Despite being given a training plan, his fitness didn’t improve. He was later left out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and is now set to play for Maharashtra from the next season, having received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Mumbai.

While Sarfaraz is hoping for another chance at the top level, his transformation is already being seen as an example of how effort and focus can help turn things around — something Pietersen hopes Shaw will take note of.

–IANS

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