Prithvi Shaw dropped from Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad due to fitness issues, asked to lose weight: Reports

Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw has reportedly been dropped from the Mumbai squad for their next Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match due to fitness concerns. It is also being reported that he has been asked to shed some kilos.

The 24-year-old right-handed batter represented Mumbai in their opening two matches of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. He was dismissed for 7 and 12 in the loss to Baroda and scored 1 and 39* in the win over Maharashtra. Before the start of the Ranji Trophy, he registered scores of 4 and 76 in the Irani Cup.

Shaw, however, does not feature in the Mumbai squad named for their next Ranji Trophy 2024-25 encounter against Tripura, which will be played in Agartala from October 26 to October 29.

As per a report in The Indian Express, the team management has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that Shaw’s body contains 35 percent fat, and hence the opener needs to undergo rigorous training to make a return to the squad. The website quoted an MCA official as saying:

“He has been dropped, and needs to go back to training and shed some body weight to be considered for selection."

Another report in Cricbuzz claimed that some discipline issues have again cropped up concerning the talented batter, who was once considered the next big thing in Indian cricket. As per the report, the selectors and the team management felt that the exclusion was the right move amid claims that he was irregular at the nets and did not take practice sessions seriously.

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Prithvi Shaw last represented India in July 2021

Shaw made a sensational Test debut against West Indies in Rajkot in October 2018. He slammed 134 off 154 balls, hitting 19 fours, to become the youngest Indian Test centurion on debut, and the second-youngest Test centurion for India after Sachin Tendulkar. However, he failed to build on his great start owing to discipline and technical issues.

The opener, who will turn 25 in November, last represented India in July 2021. He has so far featured in five Tests, scoring 339 runs at an average of 42.37, with one hundred and two fifties. In ODIs, he has played six matches, scoring 189 runs at an average of 31.50, with a best of 49. Shaw has only been part of one T20I in which he was dismissed for a golden duck.