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Sarfaraz Khan reveals his teammate used to body shame him and call him ‘Panda' due to...

Sarfaraz Khan reveals his teammate used to body shame him and call him ‘Panda' due to...

India.com5 days ago
Sarfaraz Khan reveals his teammate used to body shame him and call him 'Panda' due to...
New Delhi: Out of Team India batsman Sarfraz Khan is in the news today (July 21) due to the pictures of his tremendous physical transformation. The 27-year-old has faced fitness problems on several occasions in the last decade. Kohli's advice changed his life
About five years ago, Sarfraz had done a similar fitness transformation, after which he thanked Virat Kohli. The Mumbai batsman made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2015. However, after three seasons, he was released from the team and in 2019 he joined Punjab Kings (PBKS). From 'Panda' to 'Macho'
Recalling what Kohli said during his impressive 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season, Sarfraz said:
'I was not just happy with my fitness improvement but also because it helped me score runs. There was a time when all my teammates called me 'Panda' because I ate a lot. Now they call me 'Macho'. In fact, very few people know that this is my new nickname.'
He further said,
'In 2016, I was dropped from RCB due to fitness. Virat Kohli clearly told me that there was no shortage of skills but due to fitness I was not able to reach the next level. He told me his point very honestly.' Struggle in IPL, consistency in Ranji
Although Sarfraz Khan has scored consistently in first class cricket, his comeback in IPL has not been easy. He has remained unsold for the last two seasons, while he was last seen on the field for Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2023. Did wonders in Test debut against England
Sarfraz Khan's dream came true when he made his debut for India in the home Test series against England early last year. In the Rajkot Test, he scored half-centuries in both innings and led India to a 434-run win.
Scored important runs in the Test series, but performance dropped
After this, he also played the remaining two Tests against England and scored another half-century in the last match of the series, helping India win the series 4-1. He scored his first Test century in the first match of the home series against New Zealand. Dropped after New Zealand and Australia tour
However, Sarfraz's performance was poor in the remaining matches of the series and he could score only 21 runs in four innings. After this, he was part of the Indian team on the tour of Australia, but he did not get a chance in the playing XI in all five Tests. He has also been dropped from the ongoing England tour, where India are trailing 1-2.
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She once borrowed shoes. Now she's donating spikes
She once borrowed shoes. Now she's donating spikes

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She once borrowed shoes. Now she's donating spikes

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World University Games: Ankita bags women's 3000m steeplechase silver, men's 4x100m relay team takes bronze
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World University Games: Ankita bags women's 3000m steeplechase silver, men's 4x100m relay team takes bronze

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ENG vs IND, fourth Test: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes' offer to call off match before start of mandatory overs
ENG vs IND, fourth Test: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes' offer to call off match before start of mandatory overs

The Hindu

time30 minutes ago

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ENG vs IND, fourth Test: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes' offer to call off match before start of mandatory overs

Drama unfolded in the high-intensity Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Manchester on Sunday (July 27, 2025) after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England skipper Ben Stokes' offer to call off the fourth Test and settle for a draw before the start of the final hour of play. There is a provision that allows both captains to shake hands and agree to a draw if they feel that the possibility of a result is impossible. Having worked hard to earn a creditable draw, Jadeja and Washington, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, refused Stokes' offer after he had approached the umpire, which irked the England skipper no end. With both approaching their hundreds after having saved the match for India who started their second innings 311 runs in arrears, Jadeja and Washington exercised their rights to continue batting. India coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill backed the decision to carry on batting. "If someone is batting on 90 and the other one is batting on 85, don't they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off if someone from England's side would have been batting on 90 or 85? "If someone has the opportunity to get his first Test hundred, won't you allow him to do it? They weathered the storm. It's up to them," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference. "If they want to play that way, that's up to them. I've got nothing more to say. I think both those guys deserved a hundred, and fortunately they got it." On his part, Gill said, "It was up to the boys and both of them were in their 90s, they deserved to score centuries." In the field of play earlier, Stokes had a few words to say as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were also seen enquiring as to why India wanted to carry on. "Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?" Stokes asked sarcastically and all Jadeja said was "I can't do anything." Stokes said later, "We took the game as far as we could. As soon as draw looked inevitable, I wasn't going to risk my bowlers with the short turnaround (time of three days before the start of fifth Test)." Amid the drama, a smiling Jadeja maintained his grace and ticked the English players off as India, as per rules, were well within their rights to carry on batting. In what seemed like a mark of protest, Stokes introduced Harry Brook into the attack and Jadeja hit him for a six to complete his third Test hundred. However, England team's poor attitude was at the forefront as they started bowling proverbial long hops or "donkey drops" as a mark of protest.

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