Karachi Kings wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan has opened up on his fitness and weight loss journey, crediting months of disciplined training for his resurgence after delivering a match-winning performance in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.
Azam played a pivotal role in Karachi’s victory over Rawalpindiz, smashing a blistering 74 off just 34 deliveries to guide his side to a five-wicket win.
After the game, Azam, while reflecting on his journey, revealed that the past several months had been both challenging and transformative.
“Since last year’s PSL, I haven’t played much professional cricket, but I’m in a good zone because I’ve trained really hard over the past few months, and it’s showing on the ground,” he said.
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The right-hander shared that relocating from Karachi to Lahore proved to be a turning point in his routine, as he became more disciplined and has been training regularly at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
“The last seven to eight months have been tough. I have shifted to a different city. I live in Karachi, but now I have moved to Lahore. I have been training at the National Cricket Academy. I’ve been putting in daily effort, repeating drills, and that’s really helped my confidence,” he stated.
“When you shift to a different city, you have to work hard enough and be more disciplined. So I have felt that I have been more disciplined with my training as well as my diet.”
According to Azam Khan, a significant part of his improvement has come through a stricter approach to fitness and diet. He admitted to working closely with professionals to address his weight and conditioning.
“I had to make serious changes, hire a dietician, consult doctors for my weight loss, and stay disciplined with my diet. There are cheat days, of course,” he joked, “but overall, I’ve lost a lot of weight, and I’m moving much better on the field.”
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Azam acknowledged that his previous fitness levels had impacted key aspects of his game, particularly his ability to run between the wickets and his wicketkeeping mobility.
“Last year, I was slow while running, and my lateral movement behind the stumps wasn’t great. Now, I feel quicker and more agile, which is very satisfying,” he noted.
Interestingly, the change in physique has also influenced his equipment and approach at the crease.
“I had to reduce the weight of my bat after losing weight. Like when I was heavy i was using a heavier bat, but when I got lighter, I had to change my bat weight as well, but I haven’t lost any power. In fact, I don’t get tired as much while batting now, and I feel more comfortable overall,” he explained.
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