'Strong Body, Strong Mind' - Kevin Pietersen Praises Sarfaraz Khan's Body Transformation, Shades Prithvi Shaw In The Process

When Sarfaraz Khan was not included in the Indian cricket team squad for the India vs England Test series, many were surprised given he had done very little to be dropped and had also been working on the one thing many chastised him for - his fitness. 

Indeed, the Mumbai cricket team player has undergone a massive transformation in recent times and is looking the fittest that he has ever looked through the course of his career. 

And his impressive physical shape caught the eye of none other than former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who praised it - and also sent a little shade towards Prithvi Shaw, who has been under the scanner for a lack of fitness. 

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Pietersen's Praise for Sarfaraz

Pietersen said the renewed focus on his fitness would lead to better results on the field for Sarfaraz, and said that Shaw needs to take note of the work he has put in. 

"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! Can someone show Prithvi this please? It can be done! Strong body, strong mind," he said on a post on X (formerly Twitter).

It is worth noting that Sarfaraz and Shaw were Mumbai teammates until recently, when the latter made a move to Maharashtra to revive his flagging cricket career. 

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Can Sarfaraz Make Comeback?

And while Sarfaraz is currently on the outs as far as the Indian team is concerned, it is worth noting that a comeback cannot be ruled out as things stand. 

His middle order replacements in Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan have yet to pull up any trees during the tournament so far, with both having forgettable tours. 

There are question marks over Sarfaraz's ability to adapt to overseas wickets but he has done well in domestic cricket on a consistent basis and it would be foolish to ignore him.