India batter Prithvi Shaw has been out of action since suffering a knee injury in August last year and he is unlikely to return to competitive cricket anytime soon, CricketNext reported.
As a result of this injury, Shaw has already missed a couple of domestic white-ball tournaments – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. It was expected that the 24-year-old would make a return in the ongoing Ranji Trophy but the chances of it seem bleak now.
According to the report, the right-hander has resumed batting in the nets at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore but will take some more time before he gets clearance to play.
“Prithvi Shaw has been in the NCA for months now, doing rehab and following all the necessary recovery protocols. It is safe to say that he is batting normally in the nets but is still a bit far from getting clearance to play competitive cricket again. As of now, it looks very unlikely that he will play the Ranji Trophy,” a source close to the cricketer quoted as saying by CricketNext.
It is learnt that the Return to Play (RTP) clearance is highly unlikely for the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season. Had it been a T20 tournament, there were hopes of a comeback but the decision makers are not willing to put his body through the hardship of a multi-day fixture after such a lengthy rehabilitation programme.
“It is highly unlikely that NCA will give clearance to play Ranji Trophy directly. No one wants him to have a breakdown after such a long rehab programme so it’s a rather safe approach to have him back in a shorter format. By then there will be enough time to put the body through match simulations and other high-intensity drills,” the source added.
Shaw’s domestic side Mumbai is waiting for NCA’s clearance. Chief selector Raju Kulkarni said they will wait for the reports and Return to Play (RTP) and will follow the usual procedure for a player returning from a long injury hiatus.
“Prithvi Shaw has been at the NCA for months now. Like with Shardul Thakur, we will wait for the RTP from the NCA before deciding on a future course of action. As things stand, he hasn’t received clearance from the NCA to return to competitive cricket and remains unavailable for selection,” Kulkarni said.
Prithvi Shaw last appeared in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup for Northamptonshire in August 2023. He was in excellent form, registering scores of 34, 26, 244 and 125* from four innings. However, he injured his knee while fielding in the match against Durham which cut short his stint in England.
Looking at the current situation, it is highly unlikely that Shaw will directly feature in the IPL 2024 season for the Delhi Capitals.
(With CricketNext inputs)
