Shaw elated with fresh start after sublime Maharashtra debut in the Buchi Babu tournament, scoring a century.
Shaw elated and happy to ‘start from scratch’ as he marks Maharashtra debut with century.
With his new local team, Maharashtra, Prithvi Shaw is getting ready to “start from the scratch again” and rebuild his career. Against Chhattisgarh in the pre-season Buchi Babu competition, he made his Maharashtra debut with an aggressive century on a Chennai turner that also gave spinners varying bounce.
Due to his lack of discipline and poor health, Shaw was cut from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team last year. He also failed to sell at the IPL 2025 auction. Shaw claimed that in preparation for the upcoming domestic season, he had put a lot of effort into improving his fitness and even had his nutrition closely watched.
“I mean, these two-three months [before the season] I had my trainer [working with me],” he said. “He used to come personally to train me. And I’ve got a dietitian as well, and he gives me the meals [plan] and everything – like what a dietitian does. So, all this stuff in three-four months has really changed me physically and mentally as well. And, you know, it can be seen on the field.”
Shaw blasted to 111 off 141 balls, including 15 fours and a six, on the second day after enjoying a solid workout in the field on the first day, when he collected three catches. On a misbehaving surface on Tuesday, the remaining ten Maharashtra batsmen scored 92 runs. But Shaw kept batting with the intention of attacking.
With a down-the-track straight six off legspinner Shubham Agrawal, Shaw went from 91 to 97 before reaching his first hundred for Maharashtra with a softer touch to midwicket. The ball twisted and flew low as Shaw moved forward at Agrawal once again, stumping the batter.
Shaw on his improvement
“I feel it [my approach] depended on the scoreboard,” Shaw said. “Obviously, we’re four wickets down for 17 [after an opening stand of 71]. We had a good opening partnership, but when wickets were falling, I had to be patient enough to take the game away from them, which I was trying my best [to do]. And the wicket [in Chennai] is obviously good for spinners.
“It [the pitch] is turning, bouncing and [there are] a lot of patches on the wicket. So, I tried my best to just be over there and try to [make] some scores. It feels really nice [to score a hundred], especially because I’m playing my first game for Maharashtra. It feels nice; it’s been long, and I haven’t played a three-day or four-day game [recently].”
“Before it was for me, like I was trying to think bahut aage ka,” Shaw said. “So, I don’t think it worked for me. What I’m trying to do now is going day-by-day – whatever I have [as] my schedule plan when I’m playing a match or when I’m not playing matches. “So, I’ve got a schedule plan. I’m focusing day-by-day. I don’t want to see what happens after a month or two days. I try to be in the present. I’m that kind of a person right now.”