Mumbai’s 17-year-old cricketer Prithvi Shaw has been one of the biggest talking points in this Ranji Trophy season. The right-hand opening batsman has notched four hundreds in five first-class matches, and more importantly, two centuries in back-to-back matches – against Tamil Nadu and Odisha respectively.
There’s no dearth of cricketing talent in India, but an exceptional talent is hard to come by anywhere in the world.
Prithvi Shaw, who became the youngest batsman to score a century in the Duleep Trophy final in September, is among the six players to score a century in both his Ranji trophy and Duleep trophy debut. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is among the six players.
So should the Indian selectors start eyeing the lad for a place in the Test side, or is it too early. Here’s what some of the ex-cricketers and experts had to say.
Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi believes that Prithvi Shaw is ready to play for India.
What are the yardsticks for someone to be called ready? He is comfortable at a certain level, he is dominating, and if these are the parameters, then he’s ready. When a player is in good form, then an opportunity has to be created for him. What is there to wait? If he is scoring runs and dominating at a certain level. I will be surprised if his name is not discussed in the next India Test squad selection meeting.Shishir Hattangadi to The Quint
Former cricket administrator and Prithvi Shaw’s mentor Makarand Waingankar is in the same line of thought as Hattangadi. Waingankar feels that Shaw has had a tougher initiation into first-class cricket as compared to Sachin Tendulkar, as Shaw opens the batting and Tendulkar used to bat at number five for Mumbai.
Why not? If Sachin Tendulkar can at 16, then why not Shaw? He has scored four hundreds, all against quality attack. If not now, then when? While Tendulkar batted at Number five when he made his debut, Shaw, as an opener, has been facing the new ball, which is more difficult.Makarand Waingankar told DNA
However, former India player and Mumbai coach Praveen Amre feels that Prithvi Shaw should enjoy wherever he plays.
If given an opportunity, I think Shaw has the confidence and potential to do well at the international level, but to be honest, at the top level, the competition is too high. Shaw should enjoy wherever he is playing and scoring in matches. It will only help him become a better player.Praveen Amre told DNA
Former India player Aakash Chopra expressed that regardless of how good Prithvi Shaw is, he shouldn’t be rushed into the Indian team.
In any case, what’s the rush? Why can’t he wait for some more time? If he’s good, then he’ll just get better with time. If a kid is put in the Indian team at a young age, then there is a possibility of losing the player.Aakash Chopra told The Quint
Former Media Officer for ICC and current media manager of Delhi Daredevils Chandresh Narayanan reminded us of what happened to England’s Haseeb Hameed, who made his Test debut at the age of 19.
Shreyas Iyer has joined the Indian team after playing first-class cricket for three years, we must remember that. We can’t just pick players because they are in good form right now. You saw what happened with England’s Haseeb Hameed, he was picked and then he got injured. And now he’s nowhere in the picture.Chandresh Narayanan told The Quint
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