Prithvi Shaw Criticized for Fitness Concerns After SMAT Final Failure, Fans Argue He Was Justly Unsold in IPL

Prithvi Shaw faced disappointment in the crucial final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Mumbai, getting out after scoring only 10 runs off 6 deliveries in their pursuit of 177 runs. Shaw's form has been inconsistent, despite showing promise with a quick 49 in the semi-final. However, he has failed to make any significant scores above 50 throughout the tournament, adding to his recent struggles on the field.

This year, Shaw faced setbacks in succession; he was dropped from the Delhi Capitals during the season after low scores and was later released by the franchise. Surprisingly, there were no takers for the young openers in the IPL auction, too, as he went unsold. To add to his miseries, Shaw was aslo dropped from Mumbai's Ranji squad.

As such, fans were hopeful of a resurgence from the right-handed batter in the domestic T20 tournament, as he is known for his explosive hitting. His performance in the final, however, saw fans expressing their disappointment at Shaw.

Shaw's early departure didn't deter Mumbai's run-chase, however; they chased down the target with over two overs to spare, thanks to brilliant knocks from Ajinkya Rahane (37) and Suryakumar Yadav (48), as well as a magnificent cameo from Suryansh Shedge, who remained unbeaten on 36 off just 15 deliveries.

Shaw, meanwhile, ended the 2024 tournament with 197 runs in nine matches. He will likely return to action in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic fifty-over tournament, where Shaw would aim at making a strong return with the bat. The 24-year-old was named in the list of probables for Mumbai, which was announced last month.

Earlier this week, Shaw's childhood coach, Jwala Singh, had expressed his “sadness” over the player's downfall in recent times, and also stated that the youngster needs to focus on the game.

“See, it feels disappointing. Prithvi was my first student who played U19 World Cup. The way he started his career, he played Test cricket and scored a century on debut, was man of the series too… the way he started, he was named the next Sachin. Many experts were comparing him. Now, he's getting dropped in Ranji, getting unsold in IPL. It saddens me to see him struggle like that. I advised him a lot as a coach, but to see him like this, it's surprising,” said Singh.