The last few months have indeed been a rollercoaster for Prithvi Shaw. After getting axed from the Indian Test team following his poor show in Australia, the young opener worked on his game and smashed over 800 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year. Shaw extended his purple patch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and played several stunning knocks for Delhi Capitals. However, his stellar show in white-ball cricket wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in the national team for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the following Test series against England.

Although the selectors haven’t made any official statement regarding Shaw’s omission, The Times of India reported that the 21-year-old has been asked to shed weight to get considered for national selection. “Prithvi is still very slow across the turf for a 21-year-old. He needs to shed a few more kilos. He also had concentration issues while fielding in Australia. Shaw has been working hard since he returned from Australia. He has the example of Rishabh Pant right in front of him. If Pant can turn things around in a few months, Prithvi too can do it,” the BCCI source was quoted as per saying by TOI. Prithvi Shaw Smashes 18-Ball Half-Century Against KKR, Joint Second-Fastest by Delhi Capitals Batsman in IPL.

Notably, a few months back, Shaw’s Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant also suffered a poor form and was asked to lose weight. The wicket-keeper batsman worked relentlessly to turn things around, and the result is in front of us. Now, Pant has emerged as the cornerstone of the national team across all formats. Hence, Shaw should follow the same path to represent India at the highest level.

“He has to sustain this form for a few more tournaments. He has often been picked on the basis of one good series, and then he has struggled in international cricket; he is too good a player to be ignored for long,” the source explained.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2021 04:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).