‘If he can lose between 7 to 10 kgs…’, Ex- BCCI selector ADVISE to Prithvi Shaw

Ex-BCCI selector advises Prithvi Shaw to lose 7-10 kgs to improve his fitness, stressing its importance for his future in cricket.

New Delhi: Prithvi Shaw is enduring one of the most challenging phases of his cricket career. Once hailed as the “next Sachin Tendulkar,” Shaw went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The 2018 U-19 World Cup-winning captain, once considered a future star, has struggled in recent years, leading to his exclusion from the Indian team. Shaw was also dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad and couldn’t attract any bids at his base price of Rs 75 lakh. Currently, he is representing Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but has yet to make a mark.

Former BCCI selector Jatin Paranjape believes that Prithvi Shaw requires a “complete overhaul of his mental thinking.” Paranjape expressed his views in a column for Sportstar, emphasizing the need for Shaw to adjust his mindset in order to revive his cricketing career.

Paranjape, who has represented India in 4 ODIs and played 62 First-Class and 44 List A matches, also highlighted that Shaw needs to shed some weight to improve his fitness.

The former BCCI selector stated, “If I were Prithvi, I would quickly evaluate and conclude that fitness is a major missing piece in his game. Without it, his future in cricket is uncertain. I would stress this aspect: if he can lose between 7 to 10 kilograms of body weight without losing strength, that would be a crucial start.”

He added, “If I were in his position, I would camp in Chennai with Ramji Srinivasan for 10 days and completely dedicate the next two or three years to this transformation. The results would begin to show in the next 45 to 60 days.”

Paranjape further emphasized that Shaw needs to improve his game against spin and ensure he doesn’t give away his wicket easily.

“Let’s move on to the skills part. I have often told him that he seems overly generous with his wicket, particularly against spinners. Almost every domestic spinner in India has managed to get him out. He needs to reevaluate his game against spin,” he said.