In a fresh start with Maharashtra, Prithvi Shaw marked his debut with a century in the Buchi Babu Trophy, signaling a potential career revival after being dropped by Mumbai and going unsold in the IPL.
Out-of-favour Indian opener Prithvi Shaw marked his debut for Maharashtra with a century against Chhattisgarh in the ongoing Buchi Babu Trophy or Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament at Guru Nanak College Ground in Velachery, Chennai, on Tuesday, August 19. In July this year, Shaw sought a non-objection certificate from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to switch teams and represent Maharashtra in the upcoming domestic season.
Before the beginning of the Indian domestic season 2025-26, Prithvi Shaw scored a century in his debut outing for Maharashtra, signalling a promising start after he was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad due to disciplinary and fitness issues. Shaw played an innings of 111 off 141 balls, providing a lifeline to Maharashtra’s 217 in response to Chhattisgarh’s 252 on Day 2 of the Group A fixture.
Prithvi Shaw made a move to Maharashtra with the hope of a fresh start and career revival after he was sidelined from Mumbai’s setup and struggled to regain consistent form in domestic cricket. Apart from the Mumbai setback, Shaw went unsold at the IPL 2025 Auction, where he did not find any interest from the franchises, especially Delhi Capitals, with whom he had seven seasons in the Indian Premier League.
‘Don’t mind starting from scratch again’
Moving to Maharashtra is a whole new chapter for Prithvi Shaw’s career, which has been marked by early international success, intermittent injuries, and off-field controversies. However, the 25-year-old does not mind starting everything, having experienced ups and downs in his life and career thus far.
“I don’t mind starting from scratch again because I’ve seen many ups and downs in my life. And I’ve been up there, I’ve been down there, and I’ve come back up there,” Shaw told reporters as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.
“So, everything is possible, I feel. I’m kind of a very confident guy, confident in myself and my work ethics. I feel and I hope that this season will go really well for me as well as for my new team,” he added.
Scroll to load tweet…
Getting dropped from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad was possibly a signal that Shaw needed to reassess with regard to his form, fitness issues, and consistency in domestic cricket. In the last Ranji Trophy season, the former Mumbai captain had a disastrous outing, scoring just 59 runs in four matches.
Prithvi Shaw had a moderate outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 197 runs at an average of 21.88 in nine matches. Mumbai skipper Shreyas Iyer praised his talent, but emphasized the need to improve his work ethic and reach his full potential.
Shaw works hard on his fitness and diet
Further speaking about his preparation, Prithvi Shaw has been working hard on his fitness, coordinating with his trainer, and has roped in a dietitian, who provides him meal plan.
“I mean, these two to three months. I had my trainer [working with me],” he said. “He used to come personally to train me,” Shaw said.
“I’ve got a dietitian as well, and he gives me the meals [plan] and everything – like what a dietitian does. So, all this stuff in three to four months has really changed me physically and mentally as well. And, you know, it can be seen on the field,” he added.
The fitness has been a major issue for Prithvi Shaw, which was often raised by cricket experts, who on his fitness as a major impediment to his consistent performance and a potential barrier to a return to the national team.
Can Prithvi Shaw make an India comeback?
When Prithvi Shaw made his Test debut in 2018, the youngster was seen next Sachin Tendulkar in the making as he notched up his maiden international century in his debut match for India against the West Indies. Thereafter, things have not gone well for Shaw as his form fluctuated, injuries sidelined, and off-field controversies have plagued his promising career.
Shaw was off the selectors’ radar after he had his last outing in July 2021 during the Sri Lanka tour. Thereafter, he struggled with fitness and consistency issues in domestic cricket. Now, with a fresh start in Maharashtra, the 25-year-old is hoping to turn things around. His century in the Buchi Babu Trophy is a first positive step towards a national comeback, but his true test not only remains in maintaining consistency throughout the domestic season, but also the competition from other talented Indian openers vying for a spot in the national team.
When Prithvi Shaw was overlooked by the selectors due to his inconsistency and fitness issues, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill seized the opportunity and cemented their places in the national squad. Jaiswal has emerged as India’s batting mainstay in Test cricket, while Gill is a top-order batter in ODI and T20I. This strong competition from in-form players has made Shaw’s path to an India comeback significantly more challenging.
With the domestic season set to begin on August 28, starting with the Duleep Trophy, Prithvi Shaw will have ample opportunity to prove his form and fitness in a highly competitive environment. Knocking on the door of the selectors seems to be hard for Shaw, but with his recent century and renewed commitment to fitness, he has shown that he is ready to put in all his efforts to make a strong case for himself.