Team India batter Sarfaraz Khan shared about improving his fitness during the off-season, with the Duleep Trophy set to begin India’s domestic season on September 5. The talented batter is part of Team B in the four-team competition, where each team plays the other once as well. Sarfaraz debuted for India earlier this year in the home Test series against England but he was not part of any IPL franchise, leaving him with an extended off-season as well.

In an interview with the Indian Express, Sarfaraz Khan 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. 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.”

However, Sarfaraz Khan is currently part of the Mumbai squad for the Buchi Babu tournament that started today (August 15). For him, it was a dream come true for him and his father when he made his debut for India in the England Tests earlier this year as well.

“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. “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 Khan concluded.