Prithvi Shaw asked to reduce weight to make comeback in the Indian team - Reports
Prithvi Shaw was recently ignored by the selectors for the India team for WTC final against New Zealand and the five-match Test series against England.
As per reports, Shaw has been asked to shed a few more kilos to bring himself back into contention for selection.
Prithvi Shaw last represented India in the Adelaide Test against Australia in 2020, where he managed scores of 0 & 2. He was subsequently overlooked for the home series against England across all formats.
Despite being in great form during IPL 2021, the opener was not considered for the Test squad, where the selectors picked a large contingent of 24 players.
A BCCI source revealed the reason for Shaw's omission.
"Prithvi is still very slow across the turf for a 21-year-old. He needs to shed a few more kilos. He also had concentration issues while fielding in Australia. Shaw has been working hard since he returned from Australia. He has the example of Rishabh Pant right in front of him. If Pant can turn things around in a few months, Prithvi too can do it," A BCCI source said as reported by The Times of India.
The source further added that Prithvi Shaw is too good a talent to be ignored for long, and will soon make a comeback in the team.
"He has to sustain this form for a few more tournaments. He has often been picked on the basis of one good series and then he has struggled in international cricket. He is too good a player to be ignored for long,” the source said.
Not too long ago, Ravi Shastri divulged that the team management was hard on Rishabh Pant last year, and the wicketkeeper-batsman was asked to lose some weight. It seems like Shaw has been given the same advice.
Prithvi Shaw's blistering form over the last few months
Prithvi Shaw has seemingly worked on his shortcomings since the tour of Australia, and the results have been there to see over the last few months.
It started with his brilliant run of form in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where the batsman smashed over 800 runs in eight games while averaging 165.40.
Also check the latest WTC final live score.
He continued his run in the IPL for the Delhi Capitals (DC), giving quickfire starts at the top of the order with his partner Shikhar Dhawan.
In eight IPL games, Prithvi Shaw scored 307 runs at a healthy strike rate of 166. His blistering knocks at the top were often the difference-maker for DC, helping them claim the top spot before the tournament was suspended indefinitely.