Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has urged Prithvi Shaw to take inspiration from discarded India Test batter Sarfaraz Khan’s "outstanding" physical transformation.
Sarfaraz’s fitness transformation impresses Pietersen
Sarfaraz failed to make India’s squad for the five-Test series in England. The 27-year-old, with just six Test caps to his name, last featured during India’s historic home defeat to New Zealand in October-November. Since his 150 in Bengaluru, he has managed scores of 11, 9, 0, and 1. Despite travelling to Australia for the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he was overlooked for selection throughout the series before being dropped entirely.
Although he boasts a first-class average of 65.98 – the fourth-highest among batters with 50-plus innings – Sarfaraz failed to cement his Test spot. Perceived fitness issues and technical flaws against pace bowling during his nascent international career eroded India’s confidence in him for overseas tours. Sarfaraz has, however, made returns from the five matches for India A away from home, scoring 71*, 14, 68, 34 and 92. The last knock came in the 'A' series against the England Lions ahead of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Despite the setback, Sarfaraz continued grinding. A recent Instagram Story revealed his dramatic physical transformation – now noticeably leaner compared to his stocky frame months ago. "17 kg down," he captioned the picture.
Pietersen noticed Sarfaraz's physical transformation and publicly applauded his efforts. The former England star also urged out-of-favour India batter Prithvi Shaw to take inspiration from Sarfaraz’s dedication.
"Outstanding effort, young man!" Pietersen wrote on X, "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 added.
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!
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) July 21, 2025
LFG! 🚀
Can someone show Prithvi this please?
It can be done!
Strong body, strong… https://t.co/U6KbUXlfVf
What led to Shaw's downfall?
After leading India to Under-19 World Cup glory in 2018, Shaw seemed destined to become India’s next batting superstar. He made a spectacular Test debut at 18 that same year, becoming the 15th India men's player to score a century in his maiden Test. However, his career stalled after just five matches, with the 2020 Adelaide Test – where India collapsed to 36, their lowest-ever total – marking his final appearance. He last featured for India in a T20I a year later.
Since then, fitness and disciplinary lapses have been a constant feature in Shaw’s career. As a result, last year, he was dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad and also couldn't find a bidder in the 2025 IPL auction. Now, for the 2025–26 domestic season, he will play for Maharashtra under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
