Ranji Trophy 2024-25 | 'He should take it in the right spirit': Ex-Mumbai coach Pandit on Shaw's omission from squad

Former city coaches Chandrakant Pandit and Pravin Amre urge Prithvi Shaw to take his Mumbai exclusion in his stride and get back on track; childhood coach Santosh Pingulkar wants young batter to be watchful off the field

Former Mumbai head coaches Chandrakant Pandit and Pravin Amre reckon it will be tough for opener Prithvi Shaw, 24, to digest his omission from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. 

Short-of-runs Shaw has been left out of the team that plays Tripura in Agartala in the Ranji Trophy.

Pandit guided Mumbai when Shaw scored a match-winning 120 on his first-class debut (semi-final v Tamil Nadu at Rajkot in 2016-17). While Pandit wants Shaw to take his exclusion in the right spirit, the young batsman’s  Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach Amre feels it is a wake-up call.

Chandrakant Pandit, Pravin Amre, Santosh Pingulkar

“He [Shaw] is a talented cricketer. Mumbai legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ashok Mankad and Sandeep Patil have set a certain benchmark for city cricketers. Though players are doing well, other things matter a lot and it is necessary to tell Prithvi that. He should take it [omission] in the right spirit because he is playing for Mumbai, not another state team. I am sure he will take it well and fulfil the expectations,” Pandit, now head coach of Madhya Pradesh, told mid-day from Indore on Tuesday. 

The former India wicketkeeper-batsman wants every Mumbai cricketer to emulate Test batsman Ajinkya Rahane’s commitment while playing for Mumbai. 

“Look at his decorum, discipline and approach to play and lead Mumbai. He has showcased that commitment. There is no question mark on any cricketer’s talent or ability, whether it is Prithvi or any other player. But every cricketer should maintain the decorum of Mumbai cricket. I think every Mumbai cricketer aims for two things—to play for India and win the Ranji Trophy. Hence, every cricketer should give importance to their fitness and discipline,” Pandit added.  

Also Read: Prithvi Shaw's omission from Mumbai squad involves factors beyond just fitness 

Amre was present at the MCA-BKC ground during the Mumbai versus Maharashtra Ranji Trophy game in which Shaw scored one and 39 not out. When asked what is wrong with Shaw, Amre said: “He has the skill, no doubt about it, but for consistency it is so important to have fitness first. Once your body is not there [right], you lose focus. They [Mumbai Cricket Association] know he is an important player and it is so vital to be disciplined, focussed and fit.

“It’s tough [for Shaw to digest that he is not in the team], but this I think is a wake-up call because his body needs to be 100 per cent fit. It happened to him in IPL [198 in eight games for DC in 2024 IPL] too and this is what MCA also feels — that he has to take cricket seriously. He is just 24 and has a lot of cricket [left] in him so he should take this positively, go there and give some more time to his cricket,” Amre remarked.  

Also Read: From prodigal talent to fitness issues: Prithvi Shaw’s rise and falling apart

Meanwhile, Shaw’s first coach — Virar-based Santosh Pingulkar — feels Shaw needs to work on his mental preparation. “The mental aspect is quite important. He needs to work a lot on mental preparation. He should be watchful when he is off the field. If he gets mentally fit, he will automatically become a disciplined cricketer. A few months ago, we discussed achieving fitness and focusing on the game, but I don’t think he thinks about it,” Pingulkar said.

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