MUMBAI: In a huge blow to his career, Prithvi Shaw was on Monday dropped by Mumbai’s selectors for the team’s next Ranji Trophy match against Tripura, which will be played at Agartala from October 26-29 at the MBB Stadium in Agartala.
“Prithvi’s form has been up and down, but then this isn’t entirely a cricketing decision. Mumbai’s selectors and the team management aren’t happy with his fitness, and he has specifically been told to work on it.He needs to drastically cut down his weight. He has been told that he has been given a ‘break’ from this match,” a source told TOI.
Reacting to his sensational axing from the Mumbai team, Shaw, in a cryptic post on Instagram, wrote: “Need a break thx.”
Shaw scored 4 & 76 in the Irani Cup, 7 & 12 in Mumbai’s stunning 84-run defeat in the Ranji Trophy to Baroda in Vadodara, and 1 & 39 not out in Mumbai’s nine-wicket win over Maharashtra in their second Ranji Trophy match at the MCA ground in BKC. Incidentally, Shaw’s opening partner Ayush Mhatre slammed a brilliant 176 in this match.
The 24-year-old was a part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup winning sides this year and played for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and Northamptonshire in County cricket. Last season in the Ranji Trophy, he scored 451 runs in six matches@50.11, with one hundred and one fifty.
A dashing opener when in full flow, Shaw made a sensational start to his Test career, scoring a hundred on debut against West Indies at Rajkot in 2018. However, he found himself out of the Indian team after playing five Tests (339 runs@42.37, one hundred and two fifties), six ODIs (189 runs@31.50) and One T20I for India. The Mumbaikar has scored 4556 runs in 58 First-Class matches@46.02, with 13 hundreds and 18 fifties. In January 2023, he shot back into the limelight, smashing 379 off 383 balls-the second-highest score in the history of the Ranji Trophy.
However, the knock failed to help him stage a comeback into the Indian team.
Shaw’s place in the squad has been taken by 29-year-old opener Akhil Herwadkar, who has been recalled after he left Mumbai to play for Chhatisgarh a few years back.
SKY to miss match due to ‘family commitments’
Meanwhile, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav will miss the game due to his “family commitments,” as a reliable source put it.
The squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhessh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (WK),Sidhaant Addhatrao (WK), Shams Mulani, Karsh Kothari, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohd. Juned Khan, Royston Dias
