Prithvi Shaw went unsold in the recently held IPL mega auction in Jeddah.
Shaw announced his arrival to international cricket with a century on Test debut. However, the 25-year-old failed to build on it and also went downhill fitness-wise.
As a result, the Mumbaikar fell behind in the packing order and he is currently not in the reckoning for India selection. The last time he played for the country was in July 2021.
Things turned so ugly for Shaw that he was also left out of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad two months ago. He is currently playing for Mumbai in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but hasn’t been able to come up with any notable performance.
In his column for Sportstar, former BCCI selector Jatin Paranjape listed three things that Shaw must address to get his career back on track.
"Firstly, he needs to have an organised mind. Secondly, he needs to have an organised game against spin. Thirdly, he needs to have an organised approach to his fitness conditioning. Getting organised 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," Paranjape wrote.
Paranjape, who has represented India in four ODIs, also urged Shaw to shed at least 7 to 10 kilograms of weight.
"If I were Prithvi, 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. 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," he stated.
The other aspect that Paranjape highlighted was the need for Shaw to improve his game against spinners.
"I have often told him that he seems overly generous with his wicket, particularly against spinners. Almost every domestic spinner in India has managed to get him out. He needs to reevaluate his game against spin. His game itself isn’t lacking — he can play shots on both sides of the wicket with ease. But by the time spin comes into play, his feet are tired, and that ties back to his fitness," he explained.
According to Paranjape, there would be no stopping Prithvi Shaw if he starts working on the aforementioned points.
"Having known him for a long time, I believe Prithvi 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."