Prithvi Shaw is all set for a remarkable return to competitive cricket, marking his comeback in the Ranji Trophy after a six-month injury layoff. The talented India batter has been included in Mumbai’s squad for the fifth round of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy, where they are scheduled to face Bengal at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.
Recovery Journey from Knee Injury
Prithvi Shaw’s return follows a knee injury he suffered during a county stint with Northamptonshire in August. After undergoing surgery in London and completing a three-month rehabilitation, he received clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru following a fitness test.
While Shaw had initially been on track for an earlier return, the NCA’s medical panel, led by Nitin Patel, emphasized the need for him to handle higher skill-based workloads and undergo high-intensity mobility drills for a three-week period before granting clearance.
The 24-year-old last played for India during the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021 and was part of the squad for the home T20Is against New Zealand last year.
Prithvi Shaw’s recent cricketing journey has seen mixed results. Despite his stellar performance in the previous Ranji Trophy season, where he scored 595 runs, including a remarkable 379 against Assam, he faced consistency issues that extended into the IPL. During the IPL 2023 season, he lost his place in the Delhi Capitals XI midway, managing just 106 runs in eight innings.
The timing of Shaw’s injury was unfortunate, as he was the highest run-scorer in England’s domestic one-day competition at the time of his setback, having scored 429 runs, including a record-breaking 244 off 153 balls against Somerset.
Mumbai, the 41-time Ranji champions and current leaders in Group B, are eager to have Shaw back in the squad for the crucial clash. The Mumbai squad includes captain Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Prithvi Shaw, Jay Bista, and other key players.
Mumbai squad:
Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Shivam Dube, Prithvi Shaw, Jay Bista, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Suved Parkar, Prasad Pawar (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Suryansh Shedge, Tanush Kotian, Atharva Ankolekar, Aditya Dhumal, Mohit Awasthi, Dhaval Kulkarni, Roystan Dias, and Sylvester Dsouza.
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