Can Prithvi Shaw, once touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, ever make his way back into the national squad? Never say never, but it won’t be easy, going by what one witnessed on his return to competitive cricket from a knee injury in the Ranji Trophy on Friday.
The 24-year-old, who has had a chequered career ever since bursting upon the international cricket scene with a Test century on debut, cracked a few delightful boundaries during his innings of 35 runs off 42 balls for Mumbai against Bengal at a forlorn Eden Gardens. However, he looked in urgent need to shed quite a few kilos and get back to his prolific best to press a claim along with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaekwad, who have gone miles ahead.
The latest setback to Shaw’s career came in the form of a knee injury during his County stint with Northamptonshire in August 2023. He underwent surgery in London, followed by three months of rehabilitation, with the National Cricket Academy ruling him fit almost at the eleventh hour ahead of the Bengal game.
His county stint came to an abrupt halt with the injury, and ahead of the IPL release and retention list of players in November, there were strong rumours that Delhi Capitals may release him.
Shaw’s woeful form in IPL 2023, where he scored 106 runs in eight matches at an average of 13.25, did not help matters. However, Capitals chose to go with him again, and IPL 2024 may actually provide him a lifeline if he harbours any hopes of sneaking in among the probables for the T20 World Cup in five months.
It’s been close to three years since Shaw last featured for India, during a tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021, and was last part of the squad for the home T20Is against New Zealand in 2022.