Sarfaraz Khan is a standout player in Indian cricket, with an impressive track record of scoring runs. Despite his undeniable talent, he has been consistently overlooked for a spot on the Indian team. Fans and former cricketers alike have been clamoring for his inclusion, especially after he was passed over for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in favor of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.
Notably, Venkatesh Prasad and Sunil Gavaskar have been vocal in their support of Sarfaraz, with Gavaskar even taking a dig at the BCCI selectors for ignoring him. Gavaskar also defended Sarfaraz’s fitness, which had been called into question by some critics. It’s worth noting that Sarfaraz has scored an impressive 556 runs in just six matches, including three centuries.
“If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then might as well go to a fashion show and find some other models and give a bat and ball in their hands and then improve them. That’s not the way cricket goes. You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don’t go by the size, go by the scores or wickets. He is not staying off the field when he scores a hundred. He is back on the field again. So, all that tells you is that the man is fit,” Gavaskar had told India Today.
Sarfaraz, who has not spoken about it since January, recently commented on his preparations for the upcoming IPL 2023. He emphasized that he has been putting in extra effort to improve his fitness. A typical day in Sarfaraz’s life involves hours of batting practice against six different bowlers, which is a testament to his high level of fitness. Additionally, Sarfaraz participated in a fitness camp organized by the Delhi Capitals, where he hit the ground running.
“I just heard that a while ago. I was busy playing the Ranji Trophy so I saw it in the morning itself all that he had to say. See fitness is obviously important, and I try my best. When our last Ranji Trophy match got over, I got back home at 2AM in the night and at 5AM was back on the ground. So my ground fitness is up to the mark and when it comes to running and all, I try and get the most out of it during Ranji or IPL. DC recently conducted a fitness camp in Delhi for 14 days. Whatever we have in our hand, we do it,” Sarfaraz told SportsYaari.
The 25-year-old cricketer discussed his wait for a call-up to the Indian national team, expressing contentment with taking his time. Sarfaraz values maintaining his impressive performance over simply playing for India. Interestingly, a player who had also waited for his debut not too long ago, Suryakumar Yadav, rose to the top of the ICC rankings within two years. Sarfaraz sees Yadav as a good friend and is willing to follow in his footsteps.
“I am concentrating on the form that I am currently in, making sure I continue it for as long as possible. I’m doing this because when you lose your form, it doesn’t come back that easily. Often it happens that a player earns a late call-up. Take Suryakumar Yadav for example. He is a great friend; we keep talking to each other about skills and we both play strong sweep shots. So like he too got a late start, he is in good form. So I too don’t mind waiting a bit longer but key is to sustain this form,” said Sarfaraz.
In addition to his impressive record in first-class cricket, Sarfaraz has also made appearances in 26 List A games and 84 T20 matches, amassing 469 and 1071 runs, respectively.
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