India batter Prithvi Shaw has been missing from action since injuring his knee in August last year and is unlikely to return to competitive cricket anytime soon. The 24-year-old has already missed two white-ball domestic tournaments – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy – but there were hopes of him making a return in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
CricketNext has learnt that the aggressive batter has resumed proper batting in the nets at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) but will take some more time before he gets clearance to play.
“Prithvi Shaw has been in the NCA for months now, doing rehab and following all the necessary recovery protocols. It is safe to say that he is batting normally in the nets but is still a bit far from getting clearance to play competitive cricket again. As of now, it looks very unlikely that he will play the Ranji Trophy,” says a source close to the cricketer.
The youngster is under the supervision of NCA and BCCI’s medical unit since the time of his injury and it’s understood that the Return to Play (RTP) clearance is highly unlikely for a four-day tournament. Had it been a T20 tournament, there were hopes of a return but the decision makers are not keen to put the body through the rigours of a multi-day fixture after such a long rehabilitation programme.
“It is highly unlikely that NCA will give clearance to play Ranji Trophy directly. No one wants him to have a breakdown after such a long rehab programme so it’s a rather safe approach to have him back in a shorter format. By then there will be enough time to put the body through match simulations and other high-intensity drills,” adds the source.
Mumbai play waiting game
Shaw’s domestic side Mumbai have no option but to wait for NCA’s clearance for the talented right-hander. Raju Kulkarni, chairman of the men’s senior selection committee, says they will wait for the reports and Return to Play (RTP) and will follow the usual procedure for a player returning from a long injury lay-off.
“Prithvi Shaw has been at the NCA for months now. Like with Shardul Thakur, we will wait for the RTP from the NCA before deciding on a future course of action. As things stand, he hasn’t received clearance from the NCA to return to competitive cricket and remains unavailable for selection,” says Kulkarni.
Shaw last played for Northamptonshire in August last year. The right-hander was in top form in the One-Day Cup as he smashed 125* and 244 in two of his four outings. He injured his knee while fielding in the fixture against Durham which cut short his stint in England.
Considering the current situation, it is very likely that the belligerent right-hander will directly play for the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League.
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