Prithvi Shaw last represented India in white-ball cricket in July 2021. And the last of his 5 Test matches came in December 2020.
His dip in form, combined with the rise of other young openers such as Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad meant that Prithvi Shaw, who was touted as the next Sachin Tendulkar during his teenage years, will have to wait for a while to get his chance again to don the national jersey.
What he can only do is plunder big runs wherever and whenever he gets to bat at any level to cricket. Make the headlines, turn the selectors’ heads, and force the issue himself letting his bat do the talking.
After a terrible IPL 2023 season with the Delhi Capitals, where he averaged only 13 in 8 innings, Prithvi Shaw decided to go on a different route and challenge himself in the English conditions in England’s One-Day Cup.
In just his third innings for Northamptonshire, against Somerset, Shaw smashed a stunning double century and got himself into history books. The dynamic opener played a thunderous knock of 244 runs off just 153 balls including 28 fours and 11 sixes in Northampton.
His 244 is now the highest-ever score in Northamptonshire’s List-A cricket and the 6th-highest knock in the List-A history. He also surpassed Ben Duckett’s 220* for England Lions against Sri Lanka A in 2016 to record the second-highest ever List-A score made in England.
Prithvi Shaw speaks about Indian selectors after his double century
After his surreal, record-breaking knock Prithvi Shaw opened up on his India non-selections finally. Shaw was also omitted from India’s squad for the Asian Games in China where the BCCI will send a second-string squad.
The 23-year-old spoke his heart, maintaining that he’s not thinking about the selectors’ opinion on him, and will give his best at the moment.
“Definitely (here for the) experience for sure. Not really thinking what the Indian selectors may be thinking, but I just want to have a good time here. Northamptonshire have given me this opportunity… they’re really looking after me. I’m really enjoying it,” Shaw said after the match.
“The sun was out; it was kind of like Indian weather today (Wednesday) so it was really looking good. I wasn’t thinking about anything. You know when an inside edge doesn’t get me out, that means this day is for me. You have to be lucky sometimes, so I think this was a day for me. I didn’t look back after that. When I got 150, I thought I was timing the ball really well and this could be the day to go bigger.”