Prithvi Shaw needs to act fast, or else his cricket career will be over. That is what former national selector Jatin Paranjape feels. The opener has gotten advice from several ex-cricketers, which even includes an open letter from Greg Chappell, one of the greatest players of all time. Paranjape, a former Mumbai player, feels there is some time left for the 25-year-old to turn things around, but if he stays on the path he’s currently on, it might be too late.
“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,” Paranjape wrote in his column for Sportstar.
Fitness is a major missing piece in Prithvi Shaw’s game: Paranjape
In October, he was dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team for being overweight. Of course, things got even worse when he went unsold at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction 10 days ago. Paranjape emphasised that Prithvi needs to work on his fitness first and foremost.
“He needs to have an organised approach to his fitness conditioning. 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,” he added.
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Prithvi Shaw as talented as Yashasvi Jaiswal & Sanju Samson?
Paranjape feels that Prithvi is one of the three most talented batters in India. The opener was labelled as the next ‘Sachin Tendulkar‘ when young and had even started his international career with a century at the age of 18. But after 6 years, he’s played just 12 matches for the Indian cricket team. According to Paranjape, he’s up there with other batting stars but lacks their level of fitness and isn’t necessarily an athlete.
“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,” Paranjape further wrote.
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