Prithvi Shaw makes eye-catching ‘Indian selectors’ remark after whirlwind 244 for Northamptonshire in One-Day Cup
Having last represented India two years ago in July 2021, Prithvi Shaw sought a change of fortunes by joining Northamptonshire. Despite a few noteworthy performances against weaker opponents in the Ranji Trophy and a couple of fifties in the IPL, Shaw’s bat remained quiet for an extended period. Notably, he emerged as the second-highest scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, yet almost a year had gone by since he accumulated 332 runs across 10 matches for Mumbai. Adding to his troubles, an off-field controversy involving a social media influencer elevated matters, with reports of disciplinary issues resurfacing. Cricket remained Shaw’s sole path to redemption.
Prithvi Shaw was unstoppable during his insane knock of 244.(Northamptonshire CCC/Twitter)
However, his return to the field did not yield the desired results either. Recording just one fifty in 8 matches for the Delhi Capitals, Shaw turned to the Duleep Trophy but encountered disappointment once again, posting scores of 26, 25, 65, and 7. It’s astonishing to consider that this is the same cricketer who, a few years prior, was hailed as the next Sachin Tendulkar and had introduced himself to the world with a debut century for India. Something had to give.
And give it did. After a couple of promising starts in the Royal One-Day Cup, Shaw set the stage ablaze with a scintillating knock of 244 against Somerset, obliterating a series of records. With 28 fours and 11 sixes – take a moment to absorb that – Shaw ruthlessly dismantled the figures of seven Somerset bowlers, accumulating a staggering total of 415 runs for the Northants. Although he missed out on the highest score ever by an Indian in the tournament, Shaw shattered quite a few records during his marathon innings.
Although Shaw remains distant from reclaiming his position in the Indian team – his last inclusion was in the squad for the Sri Lanka series, where he didn’t feature, and he was omitted from the 30 players chosen for both the Ireland tour and the Asian Games contingent – he is wholeheartedly immersing himself in the English cricket experience.
“Definitely (here for the) experience for sure. Not really thinking what the Indian selectors may be thinking, but I just want to have a good time here. Northamptonshire have given me this opportunity… they’re really looking after me. I’m really enjoying it,” Shaw said after the match.
“The sun was out; it was kind of like Indian weather today (Wednesday) so it was really looking good. I wasn’t thinking about anything. You know when an inside edge doesn’t get me out, that means this day is for me. You have to be lucky sometimes, so I think this was a day for me. I didn’t look back after that. When I got 150, I thought I was timing the ball really well and this could be the day to go bigger.”
What was running through Shaw’s mind?
Shaw entered the record books by achieving the sixth-highest score in the history of List A cricket, surpassing his own remarkable 227 against Puducherry in the process. Incidentally, he now joins Rohit Sharma as the only other batsman to hit more than one double century in List A. As Shaw accelerated from 100 to 200 in a mere 48 deliveries, he confessed that surpassing his previous personal best did cross his mind. However, Shaw emphasised that his ultimate focus remained on securing victory for the team.
“The 227 was in my head to be honest. I spoke to Whitey (Sam Whiteman) when he was there and I told him it’s 227, my highest score. It was a good team effort all around. I always try and win matches for the team and I’m the kind of a player who puts my team first and then myself,” added the discarded India opener.
