The last few weeks haven’t been smooth for Prithvi Shaw, someone who was compared to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara, and others towards the start of his career, predicting that he would become the future of Indian cricket. The opening batter, since being dropped from the national side, hasn’t found his old mojo back.
Prithvi Shaw has gone through a very tough time in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 with no half-centuries on his name, besides already having a couple of ducks. However, it was a sensational start for the opener for the national side when he smashed 339 runs in nine innings at an average of 42.37 and a strike rate of around 86, shouldering on two half-centuries and one century.
The Thane-born had a shocking time when he was ignored by all the ten franchises in the recent mega auction of the IPL 2025. The right-handed batter collected 198 runs in the previous season at a strike rate of over 163, with a best score of 66.
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When it comes to his overall record in the 20-over event, Prithvi Shaw has grabbed 1892 runs in 79 innings at an average of just below 24 and a strike rate of around 147, with the help of 14 half-centuries. However, it was a jaw-dropping moment when the batter didn’t even appear at the auction table, which states that no franchise was even interested in writing his name for once.
Prithvi Shaw suggested to do this by Jatin Paranjape for electric comeback
The former national selector, Jatin Paranjape, is not prepared yet to label the former U-19 World Cup-winning captain as a ‘doomsday scenario’ as he reckoned that the batter would need a ‘complete overhaul of his mental thinking.’
“Firstly, he needs to have an organized mind. Secondly, he needs to have an organized game against spin. Thirdly, he needs to have an organized approach to his fitness conditioning. Getting organized is pretty much the headline for the way he should be going about things. This is certainly a crossroads moment for him. It’s not a point of no return at all because he has age on his side. At 25, he still has time to make a comeback.” Jatin wrote in his column on Sportstar regarding the batter, who was dropped from the Ranji side of Mumbai in mid-October and saw a drop in IPL price from INR 2 crore to INR 75 lakhs.
Paranjape also felt that the only factor that is putting Prithvi Shaw away from his old shade is his fitness. The former Indian cricketer urged the youngster to drop at least seven to ten kilograms of weight to survive the uncertainty of Indian cricket.
“If I were Prithvi Shaw, I would quickly evaluate and conclude that fitness is a major missing piece in his game. Without it, his future in cricket is uncertain. I would stress this aspect: if he can lose between 7 to 10 kilograms of body weight without losing strength, that would be a crucial start.” Jatin penned down.
“If I were in his position, I would camp in Chennai with Ramji Srinivasan for 10 days and completely dedicate the next two or three years to this transformation. The results would begin to show in the next 45 to 60 days.” Paranjape wrote in his column.
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The veteran felt that if the right-handed batter could get away the extra right and improve his batting, especially against the spinners, no one could stop him from getting to the stage of Tendulkar or Virat Kohli.
“Having known him for a long time, I believe Prithvi Shaw loves batting. He needs to emulate legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who, despite their immense success, continue playing for the sheer love of the game. Kohli, for example, is like a kid in a toy shop on the field. That passion is essential.” The former national selector addressed.