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In their surge for greater meaning and a more resolute and established future, cricketers often undertake immense challenges so that they can safeguard their playing careers. While they are still active, they like to take bolder challenges and risks to determine the course of their future, shaping it with might and solidity. The same, as evident, can be seen in the case of cricketers who whether young or already set in their cricketing context, often earn the ire of unpredictable selection calls. At times, everything seems to be going right for them and yet, they find themselves in the corridor of uncertainty. As a result, despite promising numbers for their country, they are either axed or coldly subjected to a place where it's not clear as to what may happen next. But then fitness is something that's definitely within the reach of an athlete, even as being picked to represent the team. Right? Which is when great transformations happen so that a better future can be sought. That said, let us look at 3 cricketers who shocked everyone with their incredible weight loss transformation.
Here are three cricketers who shocked everyone with their incredible weight loss transformations:
Sarfaraz Khan
First, the challenge was to break into the national cricket team despite scoring dozens of runs in the first-class arena. Next came the challenge to maintain his spot, something that didn't really happen for the talented and committed right hander from Mumbai. Despite 150 in Test match cricket, still his highest score, Sarfaraz Khan was dropped from the national Test side with just 6 games to his name.
Even promising IPL performances in the seasons leading up to that point weren't enough. Something had to give. And in a social media age driven by excesses of free advice and ceaseless opinion-making, many pointed to Sarfaraz being overweight.
So what did he do when he felt cornered by the pressure that was perhaps getting to him?
Sarfaraz Khan dedicated his two previous months to one thing and one thing after all - fitness. Resultantly, he dropped around 17 kilos in the last 60 days, notifying the world about a rather impressive transformation in the most peaceful and docile manner ever.
What happens to his future now?
But that said, given his recent weight loss success, Sarfaraz will easily be among the 3 cricketers who shocked everyone with their incredible weight loss transformation.
Andrew Flintoff
Back in the day, during the formative stages of his promising English career, Flintoff, who burst on the scene like a meteor on the cricket field, had a liking for a party lifestyle. Apparently, he also reserved an affection for a pint of beer, too many. While his natural talent to shine with both bat and ball was redoubtable and hard to ignore, he wasn't getting any fitter after four or a little over four years of breaking into the national cricket side.
But an additional problem also hurt his cause; it being an eating disorder. Taking fitness seriously, often taking to boxing, something he'd eventually continue with for some time in his post English career as well, Freddie Flintoff, in midst of his English career sought a total reformation.
He'd hit the gym, focus on a diet and eat carefully to represent a newer side to him that allowed him to fully channelise the best of his seemingly ceaseless potential. Eventually, despite ups and downs in form but being the best all rounder since the great Ian Botham, Flintoff played for eleven full years and his last international appearance for England in any Test or ODI occured in 2009. But by then he had already become a heroic international cricketer and an agile athlete.
Maheesh Theekshana
The Maheesh Theekshana one sees now as a potentially game-changing and batter-wrecking spin bowler was once on the heavier side. It's truest for his Under-19 cricket playing days, in which he even weighed 117 or 118 kilos. That was back in the Under-19 2017-18 season.
Not the lean and fit cricketer he appears today, back then, Theekshana was slowly realising the impact that sound fitness could have on the longevity of his career and to ensure he'd break higher ground for himself and for his Sri Lanka.
Resultantly, not only did he cut off all the rice from his eating regimen, he focused more on the gym and stayed away from things like fish and snacks.
From 16.1 to 19.2, his Yo-Yo fitness test scores evidenced a great rise, which was in 2020. And hence, the new and vastly improved Maheesha was for everyone to see, a tranformation that was envy inspiring.
