"By the end of the month, I was able to run 5 km in 30-31 minutes" - Sarfaraz Khan opens up on improving fitness during off-season

Team India batter Sarfaraz Khan opened up about improving his fitness during the off-season, with the Duleep Trophy set to kickstart India's domestic season on September 5. The 26-year-old is part of Team B in the four-team competition, where each team plays the other once.

Sarfaraz debuted for India earlier this year in the home Test series against England after years of dominance in domestic cricket. However, he was not part of any IPL franchise, leaving him with an extended off-season.

In an interview with the Indian Express, Sarfaraz said:

"There is nothing called off-season for me. I would wake up by 4.15 am and by 4.30 am, I will start the day with long-distance running. It was very helpful to improve my fitness because, by the end of the month, I was able to run 5 km in 30-31 minutes."

He added:

"It was my priority and we (his father Naushad and him) put a plan in place. So once I’m done with my running, I would hit the gym. So the first half of the day was allotted for fitness and fielding drills. The batting part would begin in the evening."

Sarfaraz is currently part of the Mumbai squad for the Buchi Babu tournament that started today (August 15).

"This isn’t the time to rest," says Sarfaraz Khan

For Sarfaraz Khan, it was a dream come true for him and his father when he debuted for India in the England Tests earlier this year. However, the Mumbai batter was clear on not resting on his laurels and wanting to prolong his international career.

"My father and I had a dream. It was to play for India and I was able to achieve it against England. But it shouldn’t be the end. Now, I’ve to prolong that dream as long as I can and for that, I have to do a lot of hard work. This isn’t the time to rest. If anything, I’ve to work harder," said Sarfaraz.

He did not want to look too far ahead to the upcoming Bangladesh Test series and instead focused on playing as many matches as possible to stay in rhythm.

"I’m not looking at the Bangladesh series. But I’ve to follow the process and be ready. This (playing matches) is very important for me. I’ve not had this level of practice in Mumbai because of the rains. You are just facing a bowling machine, side-arm throwers or sometimes bowlers in indoor facilities," Sarfaraz added.

Sarfaraz had a dream start to his Team India career, scoring half-centuries in both innings on debut in the third Test against England. He scored a third half-century in the final Test as India won the series by a 4-1 scoreline.

Meanwhile, India plays next in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home, starting September 19.