Star opener Prithvi Shaw, previously out of the Indian national team, has delivered an emphatic message to the selectors. He achieved a magnificent century in a warm-up match against his former squad, Mumbai, signaling his formidable return ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season.
An image shows Prithvi Shaw in action, preparing to play for Maharashtra in the upcoming Ranji Trophy.
The 25-year-old, now representing Maharashtra after his stint with Mumbai, blazed his way to a century in a mere 140 balls.
Shaw forged a monumental 305-run opening partnership with Arshin Kulkarni, a stand finally broken by Shams Mulani.
He swiftly notched his fifty in 84 balls, accelerating to his hundred just 60 deliveries later. Displaying confidence against both fast and spin bowling, Shaw dominated on the superb batting pitch at the MCA International Cricket Ground.
The dynamic batsman’s innings concluded at an impressive 186 runs before Shams Mulani eventually found a way to send him back to the pavilion.
This isn’t Shaw’s only recent highlight; he previously marked his Maharashtra debut with an aggressive century against Chhattisgarh in the Buchi Babu tournament, even on a challenging Chennai pitch known for its spin and variable bounce.
Once hailed as a prodigious talent, Shaw burst onto the Test scene with a stunning century (134) against West Indies in Rajkot back in 2018, at just 18 years old. His last of five Test appearances (totaling 339 runs at an average of 42.37, including two half-centuries) was the pink-ball Test in Adelaide in 2020. He has also played six One-Day Internationals and one Twenty20 International for India, with his most recent white-ball match dating back to July 2021.
Looking ahead, Maharashtra’s Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season begins on October 15 against Kerala, followed by their second Elite Group B fixture against Chandigarh from October 25-28. Their remaining six matches in Elite Group B will be against strong teams including Saurashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh.
The Maharashtra squad includes: Prithvi Shaw, Arshin Kulkarni, Siddhesh Veer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankeet Bawane (c), Saurabh Nawale (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Vicky Ostwal, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Pradeep Dhade, Hitesh Walunj, Mandar Bhandari (wk), Harshal Kate, Siddharth Mhatre, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Rajneesh Gurbani.