Ranji Trophy 2022-23: Prithvi Shaw’s career-best 383-ball 379 for Mumbai helps him reclaim India cap

Ranji Trophy 2022-23: Prithvi Shaw smashes career-best 383-ball 379 for Mumbai against Assam and gets India call for the T20I series against New Zealand. Prithvi Shaw becomes highest individual scorer (379 runs) for Mumbai/Bombay in first-class cricket.

Prithi Shaw smashes triple century (379 runs) against Assam (Images: ©Twitter)

The 88th season of Ranji Trophy 2022-23 has been witness to some great games in just four weeks with all the domestic teams continuously showing some excellent skills in the tournament.

The runners up from the last season, Mumbai, who lost to Madhya Pradesh in the final of Ranji Trophy 2021-22 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, have begun a fresh journey from where they finished last season.

Mumbai eye another successful Ranji season

The most successful domestic side of Ranji Trophy with a record 41 titles, Mumbai with different match-winning performances from their bowlers and knocks from their batters began this season with two victories against Arunachal Pradesh and Hyderabad by huge margins before slipping against Saurashtra.

Their opening batter Prithvi Shaw didn’t have a great time in the recently finished Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2022 with just 217 runs in seven games at an average of 31 and strike rate of 105.33 including two half-centuries. However, he was the second highest run getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2022 with 332 runs in 10 games at an average of 36.88 and strike rate of 181.42 with one century and one-half century besides his name.

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Shaw slams career best 379 at rapid pace; gets back into India squad

Prithvi Shaw has earnt just reward for his performances of late and with the stunning triple century against Assam in the league stage of Ranji Trophy 2022-23, he has got back a spot in the national side for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

Coming into the fourth game of this season, Prithvi Shaw was going through a very cold time with just 160 runs in seven innings at an average of 22.85 and high score of 68 in his name. But he again showed his destructive style of play before the world when he smashed 379 runs in just 383 balls against Assam with the help of 49 boundaries and four maximums at an unbelievable strike rate of 98.95 at the Amingaon Cricket Ground in Guwahati.

After sharing a 123-run opening partnership with Musheer Khan, who contributed with just 42 runs in the stand, Prithvi Shaw brought up a 401-run partnership for the third wicket with leader Ajinkya Rahane, who himself missed out on his 200 by just nine runs. At the end of the first day, Shaw was unbeaten on 240* in 283 balls as he was severe on left-arm spinner Roshan Alam, who was thumped for 76 runs at a run-a-ball against Shaw in the first day’s play.

On the second day, Shaw kept going, scoring a further 139 runs in 99 balls before being dismissed. His 379-run knock now is the second highest first-class score in the Ranji Trophy just behind Bhausaheb Nimbalkar, who scored an unbeaten 443 for Maharashtra against Kathiawar back in December 1948.

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Top five players with the highest individual scores in Ranji Trophy History

Score	Player	For Team
443*	Bhausaheb Nimbalkar	Maharashtra
379	Prithvi Shaw	Mumbai
377	Sanjay Manjrekar	Bombay
366	Maturi Venkar Sridhar	Hyderabad
359*	Vijay Merchant	Bombay

Prithvi Shaw also became the ninth batter to go past 350 in a Ranji innings and went past Swapnil Gugale (351*), Cheteshwar Pujara (352), Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman (353), Samit Gohel (359*), Vijay Merchant (359*), Maturi Venkat Sridhar (366) and Sanjay Manjrekar (377).

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Shaw gets India call for the T20I series against New Zealand (Photo: ©AFP/Getty Images)

I could have made 400: Shaw on the missed opportunity

The 23-year-old Mumbai batter who last played for India in a T20I in July 2021, was omitted from various India squads in the recent months and has been consistently overlooked across formats despite his consistent scores in the domestic circuit. Prithvi Shaw found full support from former India batter Gautam Gambhir who wants the coaches and the selectors to guide him with proper plans in place.

“Someone like Prithvi Shaw, the kind of start he had to his international career and the kind of talent he has, you back a player on talent,” Gambhir said. “Yes, you have to look at the upbringing as well - where he comes from and the challenges he’s had as well. It makes even more sense for the management and the selectors to keep him around the mix, and help him get on the right track.”

“If he is willing to put in the hard yards - and I know how destructive he can be; if he can go on to games for you, whether it’s trainers, management, head coach or chairman of selectors, all these guys should take the onus to try and get these young boys to walk on the right path,” Gambhir added more on the inclusion of Shaw.

Shaw has expressed his disappointment on being constantly judged on social media but he has learnt to clean that negativity off his life.

“People who are not with me when I am not doing well, I don’t really care about them,” Shaw told PTI at the end of the second day’s play. “Just like to ignore them; that’s the best policy.”

“You know you are doing your things right and you know you are doing your process right. You are honest with yourself, disciplined with your career on and off the field. But sometimes people do talk differently. People who don’t know you judge you.”

Shaw also expressed that he could have crossed the 400-run mark with more time and patience in the middle.

“It feels really nice. I could have made that 400. I think I was batting really well but it was just a matter of time as big runs weren’t coming. I thought, I should give myself more time out there in the middle, display patience and the track needed that,” Shaw narrated after his innings. “The pitch did offer seam movement at the beginning and then as the overs progressed, it started keeping low.”

Prithvi Shaw will now take field when Mumbai lock horns with Delhi on January 17 in Delhi. Subsequently, he is going to be part of India’s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand. The series begins with the first game to be held at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) Stadium in Ranchi on January 27.

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