In January 2018, just before India’s Under-19 World Cup, a video appeared on the ICC’s official YouTube channel. Its caption was “The Next Sachin.” Even if many people now view it as a joke or a wonder, back then it was spot on. The extraordinary batting display by the boy who had idolized Sachin began drawing attention in cricket circles from that moment onward.
His swift selection and batting technique set the Mumbaikar apart from his contemporaries. The media hailed him as “India’s Future” in bold headlines. India’s Under-19 captain at the time, along with coach Rahul Dravid and several senior players, showered praise on his batting from the rooftops.
Under-19 Glory and the Making of a Star
Many will recall how India went on to clinch the Youth World Cup title by defeating Australia in the final that followed. We should also remember that players like India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill, T20 sensation Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Arshdeep Singh all took the field under his leadership of high expectations.
Later, in a promising debut Test against the West Indies, he notched up a century in an innings full of promise.
The Return: A Ranji Trophy Drama
Now, let’s turn to an unusual incident from recent days. The setting was a warm-up match ahead of the Ranji Trophy, at the Pune MCA Stadium, where the Mumbai and Maharashtra teams squared off.
Prithvi, who had been part of the Mumbai team the previous season, was now turning out for Maharashtra. In his very first game against his former side, the 25-year-old staged a stunning comeback with a devastating century.
Handling pacers and spinners with equal ease, Shaw bludgeoned his way to 181 runs off 220 balls, including 21 fours and three sixes. Partnering with opener Arshin Kulkarni at the top, he piled on 305 runs to the scoreboard.
By the time Prithvi departed in Musheer Khan’s over, Maharashtra stood strongly at 430 for 3.
The Controversy That Followed
What followed was a scene straight out of drama. As he walked back after being dismissed, Mumbai’s Musheer Khan sledging Prithvi sparked the trouble. The provoked Yashasvi charged toward the Mumbai players, bat in hand, ready to swing and attack. He got into a prolonged argument with the opposing players who tried to hold him back.
It was only the umpires’ intervention that eventually calmed the chaos.
A Career in Free Fall
With a string of batting failures leading to his axing from the Indian team, the 25-year-old had recently earned infamy for his poor conduct on and off the field. The latest example was the spectacle we witnessed in that Mumbai match.
No career has plummeted from its peak faster than Prithvi’s. As the captain who led India to Under-19 World Cup glory, he was snapped up by Delhi Daredevils for ₹1.2 crore in the 2018 auction. In just his second IPL match, he made a statement with 62 runs off 44 balls.
In the 2021 season, he racked up 479 runs across 15 innings, including an unbeaten 450. Delhi then retained the star, who had cost them ₹7.5 crore. But from then on, money and fame turned his career completely upside down.
Downfall: Discipline and Fitness Woes
The player, who lost his focus on cricket, kept failing time and again between bat and pad. Fitness issues soon began to plague his batting as well. Spending more time with friends, Prithvi repeatedly landed in controversies.
Showing up late to training camps often drew heavy criticism. Getting caught in a stimulant drug scandal in 2019 resulted in an eight-month ban, leaving a permanent black mark on his career.
IPL franchises started shunning him too. He even clashed with Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting. Finally, differences with Mumbai’s Ranji captain Ajinkya Rahane from the previous season and the cricket association cleared the path for his exit. This pushed his domestic career into uncertainty as well.
The Slow Fade from the Spotlight
The career that began like a dream thus slowly began fading from Indian cricket circles. Even cricket pundits drew parallels between Shaw and Karun Nair, who had squandered his own talent.
Prithvi’s last appearance in an Indian jersey came in the 2021 ODI series against Sri Lanka.
The Comeback Attempt
Realizing that opportunities were slipping away one by one, Prithvi headed straight back to the cricket field. Engaging in extended nets sessions, working on regaining his fitness, and toiling hard, he put the past behind him and returned to the arena.
The young talent, aware that chances in Mumbai were drying up, switched to Maharashtra to play Ranji Trophy. After years, the fireworks from that bat yesterday proved that his spark hadn’t dimmed one bit.
Yet, in clashing with the opposing players, the star has once again been dragged into another controversy.
A Coach’s Lament and an Uncertain Future
“You were the most talented player among everyone I’ve coached. I’m saddened that no franchise picked you in the IPL auction.”
Those were Ricky Ponting’s words after Shaw went unsold.
For Prithvi, who has self-destructed his own talent, will there be a comeback to the national team—or will he fade into obscurity as just another cautionary tale?
Only time will tell.
