‘I did not get an opportunity but…’ – Prithvi Shaw opens on his long-awaited comeback to Indian squad

Prithvi Shaw rejoined the Indian team after a 537-day absence during the T20I series against New Zealand in January. Shaw was recalled to the side for the home series against New Zealand in the shortest format following an outstanding domestic season. Shaw last played for India in the T20I match against Sri Lanka in July 2021. Nonetheless, India supported his U-19 World Cup teammate Shubman Gill, and the 23-year-old was benched for the whole three-match series. Shaw recently opened up about the denial by the Indian team management over his selection a month after the conclusion of the series, which India won by a score of 2-1.

With 363 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022 and a brilliant 379 in a Ranji Trophy match, Shaw returned to the Indian team on the strength of an excellent run in domestic cricket. Men in Blue T20I skipper, Hardik Pandya, and head coach Rahul Dravid supported Gill, who despite having a moderate T20I debut, had the management’s backing following his spectacular double century in the ODI series against New Zealand.

I am not in the Indian team for so long despite all the efforts: Prithvi Shaw 

In the first two games of the New Zealand series, Gill struggled, scoring 7 off 6 and 11 off 9, but he bounced back with a thunderous 126* in the decider in Ahmedabad. Shaw stated to News24 Sports that his chance to play in the starting eleven didn’t matter as much to him as his return to the Indian team.

“I felt really nice coming back into the T20I squad, to meet the players and train with them. I enjoyed that bit. Yes, I did not get an opportunity but was given the chance of making a comeback, that mattered,” the Delhi franchise opener was quoted as saying on News24 Sports.

“It all depended on them when to play when not to, but I respected that because probably they wanted to give the person before me a bit longer run. But again, I don’t regret that. I will keep on looking for opportunities because I have a list of goals I want to achieve with the Indian team,” the 23-year-old added.

“I kept on scoring runs. I felt if that was not enough then I have to score more and more…then I scored 379. It was just my day and felt I will not let go of this opportunity. Sometimes it just tends to hit you that why I am not in the Indian team for so long despite all the efforts…but it’s never too late,” Shaw asserted when he was asked why he felt it took time for him to make the comeback.