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Prithvi Shaw’s dip in fortunes have led to suggestions that the young batter must work on his fitness in order to put his career back on track.
Prithvi Shaw has registered two ducks in five innings of the ongoing SMAT. (PTI Photo)
Harbhajan Singh reckons Prithvi Shaw needs to back himself if he wants to come out of his lean patch. Once regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Indian cricket, Shaw has suffered a series of setbacks including going unsold at the recent IPL mega auction last month. Shaw made his debut in the T20 competition in 2018 and since then, this is the first time he has failed to secure a contract.
Despite a dip in form, there have been reports over coaches unhappy with his attitude. Amidst the criticism, Harbhajan has sympathised with the young cricketer.
“I don’t know what happened, but whatever did, I feel this is something Prithvi Shaw will need to take stock of and decide how to approach his career going forward. Such things either make or break a career and it’s up to Shaw to decide which road he wants to take,” Harbhajan said.
“It’s very tough for any player to digest that he’s gone unsold at the auction. And this is a player who people said is as talented as (Sachin) Tendulkar. Our problem is that they started comparing him so early with a player as big as Sachin,” he added.
Harbhajan believes Shaw is too young to be held back by controversies.
According to the World Cup winner, the 25-year-old should learn from his mistakes and concentrate more on his fitness to get back in shape.
“I wish him well. I hope he emerges out of this setback stronger, work hard on his fitness. He’s a very young guy. Must be around 24-25. He can go a long way if he focuses on his fitness. Because the Prithvi Shaw that we saw and the version of him we are seeing now – even size-wise – he clearly has ignored his fitness,” Harbhajan opined.
Explaining how Shaw could regain his form, the ex-cricketer suggested, “Look at the fitness of Team India players and it reflects on the ground. If he needs to look up to someone, make sure it’s Virat Kohli. I wish Shaw all the best so the next generation can also learn from him.”
Shaw has represented India in five Tests, six ODIs and one T20I to accumulate 528 runs across formats. He last represented India in July 2021, featuring in a 20-over clash against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The Mumbai batter previously had struck a record-breaking 379 against Assam in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23. Shaw also impressed on his debut for Northamptonshire in the One-Day Cup 2024, registering 244 runs. Despite these, he appeared out of form in the 2024 IPL, managing just 198 runs in eight appearances.
Owing to his dismal performance in the Indian domestic circuit in recent times, the opener was also axed from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad and is currently playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.
