IND vs AUS: Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Rishabh Pant's Role in Getting Sarfaraz Khan in Better Shape For BGT

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Team India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has revealed how Rishabh Pant is playing a role in getting Sarfaraz Khan in better shape for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which is scheduled to begin on November 22.

Sarfaraz, who has often been criticized for his fitness, smashed his maiden international century on Saturday (October 19) to give India some hope in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand.

Sarfaraz scored 150 and received brilliant support from Pant, who fell just shy of a century at 99 as India wiped the Kiwis' lead of 356 runs and set the visitors a target of 107 to win on the final day of the Test.

With this knock, Sarfaraz may have cemented his spot in the middle order of the Test side. Sarfaraz, who came in as a late-replacement for Shubman Gill, has definitely sealed his spot for the remaining matches of the three-match series against New Zealand.

Team India is set to travel to Australia later this year to take part in a five-match Test series. The 2024-25 BGT will start in Perth, and then be played in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

The BCCI selectors are yet to announce the squad for the tour Down Under, but Sarfaraz is a sure shot to be picked in the travelling group. He may have also gone up the pecking order in terms of a spot in the middle order.

His Mumbai teammate and the Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar also revealed to the Indian Express how Sarfaraz has been working on his fitness with the help of Pant's chef to be fitter for the Australia tour.

"Sarfaraz is working on his fitness with the Indian team strength and conditioning coach, and Rishabh (Pant) has provided him with a chef who is taking care of his food. The intent is that by the time he reaches the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, his body is in better shape," Suryakumar was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Suryakumar also revealed how Sarfaraz is working hard and will be fine in the future before adding that the 26-year-old may appear fat, but his ability to score big hundreds is unbelievable.

"Fitness is important in this sport. As he gets older, his body will change. He is working hard now; he will be fine in the future. His body type might make him look fat but if you ask him to bat 450 balls, score double hundred, triple hundred, daddy hundred, he has that skill," Suryakumar added.