"This will definitely be his last season as a Mumbai player” - Former India cricketer reacts to MCA official’s brutal comments on Prithvi Shaw
Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw has been overlooked by the selectors for the first three rounds of the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. A Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official recently took a dig at the 25-year-old, saying there have been concerns about the player's discipline and fitness. Former India cricketer and selector Jatin Paranjape was unimpressed by the MCA official's comments on Shaw.
The MCA official had sarcastically remarked that with Shaw in the playing XI, Mumbai were virtually playing with 10 fielders in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Speaking to PTI, the official said on the condition of anonymity:
"In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, we were playing with 10 fielders as we were forced to hide Prithvi Shaw. The ball would pass near him and he would barely be able to get to. Even while batting, we could see he was troubled reaching to the ball. His fitness, discipline and attitude are poor and it is pretty simple, there cannot be different rules for different players."
"Even the seniors in the team have started complaining about his attitude now. You would be wrong to think such posts on social media would have any impact on the Mumbai selectors and the MCA. I'll tell you one thing. No one is Shaw's enemy. He is his own enemy," he added.
Jatin Paranjape reckoned that the statement suggests that the association members aren't keen to help the out-of-favor batter. Predicting that this could be Shaw's last season for Mumbai, Paranjape wrote on X:
"Such loose comments from sources within the MCA is truly unfortunate. Looks like they are not interested in helping Shaw out. This will definitely be his last season as a Mumbai player."
Prithvi Shaw was earlier dropped from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy 2024-25 team after their first two matches due to fitness issues. He got a chance to prove himself in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
While Mumbai finished as the champions of the domestic T20 tournament, it was an underwhelming campaign for Shaw, who scored 197 runs across nine innings at an average of 21.88.
"Tell me God, what more do I have to see" - Prithvi Shaw after being left out of Mumbai's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad
Prithvi Shaw was upset after being left out of Mumbai's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad. He shared an emotional note on his Instagram story, pointing out that he was dropped despite his impressive List A record.
The former Delhi Capitals (DC) batter added that the had faith in God and was confident of turning things around in the future. Shaw wrote:
"Tell me God, what more do I have to see..if 65 innings, 3399 runs at an average of 55.7 with a strike rate of 126, I'm not good enough..but I will keep my faith in you and hopefully people believe in me still.. cause I will come back for sure..OM SAI RAM.."
Once hailed as a prodigal talent, Prithvi Shaw's downfall has become a big talking point in the cricket fraternity. He even failed to fetch a deal at the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, remaining unsold at the event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.