Not a point of no return for Prithvi Shaw as he has age on his side: Former national selector Jatin Paranjpe

Not a point of no return for Prithvi Shaw as he has age on his side: Former national selector Jatin Paranjpe

Yes, he lost his place in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad. Then he went unsold in the Indian Premier League auction. And the runs haven’t really flowed off his bat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. But I would certainly not term it as a doomsday scenario. Prithvi Shaw needs a complete overhaul of his mental thinking.

Firstly, he needs to have an organised mind. Secondly, he needs to have an organised game against spin. Thirdly, he needs to have an organised approach to his fitness conditioning. Getting organised is pretty much the headline for the way he should be going about things. This is certainly a crossroads moment for him. It’s not a point of no return at all, because he has age on his side. At 25, he still has time to make a comeback.

According to me, there are three most talented batters in the country today: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prithvi Shaw, and Sanju Samson. Prithvi is in the top three talented young players in the country today. If we look at the ideal formula for a successful young cricketer, fitness is at par with skill. Young players like Tilak Verma and Jaiswal are fantastic athletes. Their fitness allows them to excel as fielders and maintain high levels of performance.

If I were Prithvi, I would quickly evaluate and conclude that fitness is a major missing piece in his game. Without it, his future in cricket is uncertain. I would stress this aspect: if he can lose between 7 to 10 kilograms of body weight without losing strength, that would be a crucial start. If I were in his position, I would camp in Chennai with Ramji Srinivasan for 10 days and completely dedicate the next two or three years to this transformation. The results would begin to show in the next 45 to 60 days.

Let’s move on to the skills part. I have often told him that he seems overly generous with his wicket, particularly against spinners. Almost every domestic spinner in India has managed to get him out. He needs to reevaluate his game against spin. His game itself isn’t lacking — he can play shots on both sides of the wicket with ease. But by the time spin comes into play, his feet are tired, and that ties back to his fitness.

If he can improve his game against spin and shed those extra kilos, he has a bright future ahead. He is a natural fielder, a good catcher, and has a strong arm. However, the unwanted calories he carries are holding him back. These two aspects — fitness and addressing his game against spin — should be his priorities for the rest of the domestic season.

Having known him for a long time, I believe Prithvi loves batting. He needs to emulate legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who, despite their immense success, continue playing for the sheer love of the game. Kohli, for example, is like a kid in a toy shop on the field. That passion is essential.

Prithvi has that passion, and only he can help himself. If you ask 10,000 cricket fans about him, they will echo some of these points. But at the end of the day, it is in his hands. He can seek advice and counsel, but the responsibility to act lies entirely with him.