Prithvi Shaw has been excluded from Mumbai’s squad for the first three rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scheduled to begin on December 21. This announcement comes just days after Mumbai secured the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) by defeating Madhya Pradesh in Bengaluru.
Ajinkya Rahane, who played a pivotal role in Mumbai's SMAT victory with 469 runs at a strike rate of 164.56, has been rested at his own request. Shreyas Iyer will continue as captain, with key players like Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Shardul Thakur included in the 17-member squad. Ayush Mhatre, who missed the SMAT due to India’s Under-19 Asia Cup commitments, also returns to the team.
Shaw’s omission has sparked discussions, especially given his surprise reaction on Instagram. Posting his impressive List A stats — 3399 runs in 65 innings at an average of 55.7 and a strike rate of 126 — Shaw expressed his disappointment, writing, "Tell me god, what more do I have to see... But I will keep my faith in you and hopefully people believe in me still…cause I will come back for sure. Om Sai Ram."
Shaw’s exclusion follows a string of concerns regarding his form, fitness, and disciplinary issues. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shaw managed only 197 runs in nine innings, with a highest score of 49. He was earlier dropped from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad in October for similar reasons. His fitness standards and work ethic have been under scrutiny, with Shreyas Iyer suggesting Shaw needs to reassess his approach.
“He needs to get his work ethics right, and if he does that, the sky is the limit,” Iyer said after Mumbai’s SMAT triumph. “We can't babysit anyone. Every professional at this level needs to know what they should be doing.”
In December, Shaw went unsold at the IPL auction for the first time, further fueling concerns about his career trajectory.
Meanwhile, Baroda, who reached the SMAT semi-finals, will begin the Vijay Hazare Trophy without Hardik Pandya. Hardik, managing his workload with India’s upcoming schedule, played seven SMAT matches, scoring 246 runs at a strike rate of 193.70 and picking up six wickets in 19 overs.
Updated on 17th December, 2024 by MyFortune11 Team