'Kohli told me straightaway while...': Sarfaraz Khan's revelation on how Virat helped him focus on fitness after star's incredible transformation goes viral

India batter Sarfaraz Khan, who was ignored for the selection in the Shubman Gill-led squad for the five-Test match series of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, is currently making headlines with a jaw-dropping transformation. The batter was earlier ignored for the national team selection because of his fitness has now decisively turned the tide.

Sarfaraz, who made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut featuring for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) under Virat Kohli's captaincy in 2015, credits the batting great behind his transformation. However, he was released by the franchise after three seasons and picked by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the 2019 season.

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After getting released by the RCB, Sarfaraz had a memorable Ranji season in 2019-20 during which he delivered a series of marathon knocks. Sarfaraz revealed the influence Kohli had on him. The star batter’s relentless commitment to fitness and professionalism left a deep impression on the youngster.

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"I felt good not just about my improved fitness but because it helped me score runs and get a lead. At one point, all my team-mates used to call me ‘panda’ because I used to eat a lot. Now, they’ve started calling me ‘macho’. Actually, very few people know it’s my nickname now," he was quoted as saying by Times Now.

"I was dropped at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2016 because of my fitness. Virat Kohli told me straightaway while there were no doubts over my skills, my fitness was not letting me get to the next level. He was very honest with me about where I was," he added.

Sarfaraz, who made his Test debut against England in 2024 during Virat Kohli's absence, has played six matches where he scored 371 runs in 11 innings with a highest score of 150 runs. Sarfaraz's last international outing came against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He was part of the Rohit Sharma-led side for the five-Test match series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he was unable to cut the playing XI. He was a part of Abhimanyu Easwaran-led India A squad for the unofficial Tests against England Lions before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, where he scored 92 runs.