‘I got off track. I used to train 8 hours a day — now it's just 4’
‘No big cricketer called me during that time — except Rishabh Pant, and Sachin Tendulkar’
Once hailed as Indian cricket’s next superstar, Prithvi Shaw finds himself at a crossroads.
At 25, the batter who debuted for India as a teen prodigy was unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, and has now sought a transfer from Mumbai ahead of the domestic season, signalling a fresh start.
Shaw’s decline has been marked by fitness lapses and off-field distractions. Last season, he was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji squad on disciplinary grounds, after missing most of the campaign. His last appearance came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final, where he helped Mumbai lift the title against Madhya Pradesh.
In a candid interview with News24, Shaw opened up on the mental toll of his slump and the isolation he felt during his lowest moments.
‘No big cricketer called me during that time — except Rishabh Pant, and Sachin Tendulkar. He knows my struggle. I’ve grown up with Arjun (Tendulkar), I’ve been to their house… he understands,’ Shaw said.
Reflecting on where things went wrong, the right-hander admitted to drifting away from his cricketing roots.
‘I made some wrong decisions. I stopped giving time to cricket. Earlier, I used to bat for 3-4 hours in the nets, even practice half a day without getting tired. But distractions crept in,’ he said.
‘I started prioritising things that didn’t matter. I made wrong friends. I was at the top, and people came close… they took me here and there. Slowly, I got off track. I used to train 8 hours a day — now it's just 4.’
With no IPL team and his place in domestic cricket uncertain, Shaw admits the road back will be long. But this moment of self-awareness — and willingness to reset — may just be the first step in a long-awaited comeback.
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