Prithvi Shaw, who made a resounding comeback to competitive cricket after serving a doping ban, has said that he is completely focused on piling up runs to strengthen his claim for India selection.
"Now I will focus on scoring as many runs as possible and win games for the team," the 20-year-old batsman quoted as saying by PTI.
"I will just keep scoring runs. It is all about the selectors and what they think. My job is to score runs and win games for the team," he added.
MUST WATCH: Prithvi Shaw returns with a bang, scoring 39-ball 63 for Mumbai
Shaw was handed backdated eight-month suspension by the BCCI on July 30. He had inadvertently consumed a banned substance terbutaline without availing Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) certificate.
In his comeback match, Prithvi hit 39-ball 63 to script Mumbai’s comprehensive 83-run victory over Assam in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (November 17).
Talking about the suspension period, Shaw said the episode was definitely "hard and upsetting" but it is a thing of the past now.
"I had never thought that something like this would happen. I was obviously upset. For the first 20-25 days after I was banned, I was not able to understand how did it happen," he said.
"Time passed by. I went to London and chilled out there as I was not allowed to practice till September 15. After that I stabilised myself and kept myself mentally stronger by telling myself these three months would pass. But each day was hard, it was getting longer. It's all past now."
The youngster also mentioned that former skipper Rahul David, who is the head of cricket in Bangalore's National Cricket Academy, played a big part in his comeback.
"There was nothing in my mind. I couldn't have done anything about the ban. After returning from London, Rahul (Dravid) sir called me to the NCA for training. There I went through a series of fitness tests like yo-yo," he said.
"Under Rahul sir a lot of focus was on fitness. I had to clear all my fitness tests. What also helped was that during the nets good bowlers were available like Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvi (Bhuvaneshwar Kumar) and Varun Aaron. Besides, Rahul sir was always there for guidance and mental issues."
Apart from his father, a lot of cricketers and coaches supported him during that difficult phase.
"A lot of people were asking me about my well-being. I got a lot of love and support from a lot of people. A lot of players, coaches, my agency people, Indian Oil people, BCCI and MCA guys were asking how was I feeling," Shaw said.
"There obviously was a period when I was not feeling too well. But then as the day of return came closer, I started to get my acts together.
"If I had gone into a shell at that point of time (ban) I would have felt pressure. But whatever happens it's for good."
Prithvi Shaw acknowledged that the entire turn of events was a big learning experience for him.
"I think this period has been a big learning experience for me. Obviously I committed a mistake. I had no idea what I was consuming," he said.
"In that period I was alone and was trying to stay away from people and their advices. I was telling myself that I can get out of this mess and be mentally strong."
(With PTI inputs)
