Just three fifties in five Ranji Trophy games doesn’t quite match the high standards he has set for himself, but Prithvi Shaw, a practical Mumbai captain, knows cricket is the mirror image of life where the only constant thing is a change in the graph.
Leading home powerhouse Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final against Madhya Pradesh side is Shaw’s current task and he doesn’t want his tunnel vision to be bogged down at the thought of not being in England or finding his name in the T20I squad for Ireland .
The Mumbai captain said in response to a question from PTI, “I have scored a couple (three) of half-centuries but that is not enough for me and no one has congratulated me after scoring fifty and worse to you.” Seems like.” The eve of the big final.
“It happens sometimes but I am happy that my team is doing well. As a captain, I have to think about all the 21 players that I have met here and not just me.
And then the flamboyant stroke-maker got a little philosophical.
“In cricket and in life, the graph always goes up and down and it’s not always going to go up. So it’s just a matter of time to put those balls in the middle and get big runs again. But right now, I want to make sure that my team is doing well and enjoying their game,” said the captain.
So doesn’t the national withdrawal bother him at all? “It is nowhere on my mind you know – a return to the Indian team. To win the Cup is my main motive and to think about nothing but to win it,” the captain clarified his priorities.
“The preparation we have done for Ranji Trophy and not focused on what is happening outside. It’s about winning Ranji Trophy and getting back those happy moments.”
At 22, Shaw has played 33 first-class games, but when someone asked him about his message to the “youth” on the team, everyone held their grin.
But his reply revealed what his coach Amol Majumdar had said during the first day – “Prithvi enjoys and has a knack for captaincy”.
“The first thing I would say is, I am proud of them and how far they have come and just want to say, go out there and enjoy. I tell the youth of the team that the way you did in U-25 or U-19 things, the difficulty level only increases.
“For me, the result doesn’t matter, but what matters is the effort they put in. All I tell them is to do what you have been doing for so many years.”
Shaw and the two pillars of this Mumbai team, Armaan Jaffer and this season’s top scorer Sarfaraz Khan, have one thing in common – they have all been students of the same school, Rizvi Springfield, which is known for its formidable cricket team which is home to Harris and Giles dominates The Shield. (Prestigious Mumbai School Tournament) program.
“Me, Sarfaraz and Armaan went to the same school (Rizvi Springfield) when they were 9-10 years old. We came together and all three of us are doing very well for Mumbai cricket so far.
While this is Prithvi’s second Ranji Trophy final (he played one in 2017 vs Gujarat), Armaan and Sarfaraz will play their first summit clash.
“It’s about how we look at the sport and it’s going to be a different pressure for a lot of people,” he said.
“And we have a young team and many of them have not played such finals and have not experienced that much.
“But they are up for it and what they are doing since the league games is what I see. We have a skilled, talented team and what they have achieved so far is just one more game to continue.”
When Shaw first came to the Mumbai team, with Chandrakant Pandit as the coach and captaining the 41-time champions in the Ranji final, clever strategy would be on the other end.
“I think after five years, I could make an eye contact with Chandu sir,” he laughed prickly.
“It was not like that in 2016 or 17. Everyone knows that Chandu sir is a tough guy and it’s nice to meet Sir after a long time.
“I think he has done well for MP as he has reached the final after so many years. We just talked for a few minutes and maybe we’re both getting into the field of the final and didn’t want to talk much. He will have domestic legend Amol Muzumdar on his corner and Shaw termed his guidance as a “privilege”.
“Everyone knows that Amol sir has played a lot of domestic cricket and scored a lot of runs and he has a lot of experience and we are lucky to have him.
“Great to have Amol sir in the dressing room, sharing all your experiences. It is a privilege. He is very calm on and off the field and we all enjoy his company, and what he has done for Mumbai cricket is extraordinary and I hope he is really happy with how we players have reacted.
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