Prithvi Shaw has been omitted from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team reportedly due to poor fitness and for being irregular during practice sessions – what has gone wrong for the prodigy?

Shaw has made headlines since his school days. His habit of scoring huge knocks consistently made him a star for the future, with several predicting him to have a successful international career.

He made his debut in 2018, scoring a hundred in his first Test but his career remains largely unfulfilled since then. He has played just 12 international matches, with his last appearance coming over three years ago.

Reports of indiscipline and a casual approach to fitness have been at the forefront of his downfall. Here’s a timeline of the many controversies he has been involved in since.

November 2018: Sent back from the Australia tour

Just a few months after his debut, Shaw was picked to play against Australia in 2018. However, he injured his ankle during training and was ruled out of the first Test as a result. Shaw was soon sent back home, with reports suggesting he was “losing focus”, which was soon dismissed as speculations by the player.

July 2019: Suspended for taking a banned substance

A few months after his debut, in 2019, Shaw was suspended after his urine samples, collected during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, were detected with traces of terbutaline. The BCCI handed him a backdated ban of eight months. In his reply to the board, Shaw said he had taken an over-the-counter cough syrup to cure his “common cough and cold” and the pharmacist recommended the cough syrup as it would “provide immediate relief.”

However, the Mumbai physio was reportedly not aware of the player being down with flu. 

January 2020: Alleged misconduct in the Mumbai dressing room

Shaw’s comeback was plagued with injuries and his supposed lack of discipline made it tougher for him. According to the Times of India, Shaw’s off-field lifestyle delayed his return for team India. “If Prithvi is not making the opportunity count, he can only blame himself. It’s his lifestyle causing all the mess.

“I wouldn’t like to cite particular instances though there’s a list of misconducts that have been reported. The last one was in Baroda. The Mumbai team manager was very angry and reported an incident. I wouldn’t like to get into details here but something’s very wrong. Someone needs to have a very clear and serious chat with him.”

December 2020: Rahane calls out Shaw’s fake injury “bluff” 

India’s former fielding coach R Sridhar has narrated an incident where Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership skills were displayed during a warm-up game in Sydney ahead of the Test series. He writes in his book: “There was this incident when Prithvi Shaw was fielding at short leg in a warm-up game in Drummoyne, Sydney. The batter went for a sweep and Prithvi got smacked. As he tried to limp off the park towards the dressing room, Ajinkya was quickly on his case. From his position at slip, he had clearly seen exactly where Prithvi had been hit, which was on the shin pad. 

“Rahane went up to him and said firmly, ‘Don’t take one more step. No one will replace you on the field. I know nothing’s wrong with you, I saw the ball hit you on your shin pad. Maybe you were waiting for an opportunity to go back inside, but that’s not happening. Go back to short leg and get into position’. Prithvi knew his bluff had been called and subtly, Ajinkya had told the rest that he would brook no shenanigans.”

April 2021: Ponting criticises Shaw’s training methods

Ricky Ponting, who was Delhi Capitals’ coach for seven seasons worked closely with Shaw, who was a part of the team since 2018. In 2021, the Australian star revealed that Shaw refused to bat when he hit a rough patch in the IPL and hoped that he would change his habits.

“He had an interesting theory on his batting last year – when he’s not scoring runs, he won’t bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time.

“He had four or five games where he made under 10 and I’m telling him, ‘We have to go to the nets and work out (what’s wrong)’, and he looked me in the eye and said, ‘No, I’m not batting today’. I couldn’t really work that out.”

After parting ways with Delhi this year, Ponting again spilt the beans on Shaw, hinting that the Indian was not putting in his best for the team. “That’s disappointing for me as a coach not to be able to make certain players better and get the best out of them. But sometimes there’s only so much you can give and so many times you can try.

“When you feel like you’re not making players better and they’re not doing what you need for the team, then you’ve got to look for other players that can do it for you. So that then comes back to the player.”

May 2021: Stopped by police for breaking Covid-19 rules

Following the suspension of the Indian Premier League in 2021 due to the pandemic, Shaw decided to head to Goa from Maharashtra in his car. However, he was stopped while on his way for driving without an e-pass, made mandatory by the government for travelling during the second wave. He obtained an e-paas later.

March 2022: Fails the yo-yo test

Shaw failed the yo-yo test ahead of the 2022 IPL, with the player failing to meet the required score of 16.5 for men. Shaw scored less than 15. At least 25 Indian players were a part of the camp at the National Cricket Academy to enhance and maintain peak fitness levels ahead of the T20 World Cup later that year.

February 2023: Shaw’s car attacked with baseball bat

Shaw was having dinner with friends when he was approached by a group asking for selfies. He obliged initially but reportedly denied their requests a second time. The group, allegedly waited for Shaw to emerge from the hotel and then smashed the windshields of his car.

A social media influencer Sapna Gill later alleged the cricketer had molested her, which was refuted by the police.

August 2023: Shaw body-shamed and trolled for receding hairline

Shaw was taking part in the One-Day Cup in England, where he became the first Indian batter to score two List A double hundreds in two different countries. He smashed 244 in just 153 balls but more than his knock, social media was drawn to his weight and his hairline with nasty comments on his physique. Shaw later admitted that the negative comments had started affecting his mental health.

October 2024: Shaw left out of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad

Shaw played the first two matches of the ongoing Ranji Trophy, making a combined score of 59 in four innings. He was not picked for the third round, with the omission being seen as a warning to the 24-year-old.

According to reports, the management and the selectors believe Shaw is overweight, he does not take practice sessions seriously and that dropping him will serve as a lesson for the youngster. While the senior members of the squad are consistent with their training, Shaw reportedly misses them regularly. However, the official word from the Mumbai Cricket Association is that he has been “given a break”.

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