A shocking moment unfolded on the opening day of a Ranji Trophy warm-up fixture for the 2025-26 season, as Maharashtra opener Prithvi Shaw found himself in a heated exchange with Mumbai all-rounder Musheer Khan.
Shaw had just delivered a spectacular performance for his new side, Maharashtra, smashing a commanding century against his former team, Mumbai, on Tuesday. The 25-year-old reached his hundred off just 140 balls, contributing significantly to a massive 305-run opening stand alongside Arshin Kulkarni. However, his stellar innings, which concluded at 181, was overshadowed by a fiery confrontation with his ex-teammates.
The altercation ignited after Shaw was caught at deep fine leg while attempting a slog sweep off Musheer Khan’s bowling. Reports indicate that Musheer allegedly offered a ‘thank you’ send-off, which visibly angered Shaw. The situation quickly escalated, with Shaw reportedly grabbing Musheer’s collar and even attempting to swing his bat in frustration. The umpire swiftly intervened to de-escalate the tensions, allowing Shaw to eventually walk off the field.
Despite the on-field drama, Maharashtra ended Day 1 strong, posting a score of 430 for three wickets.
Maharashtra’s captain, Ankit Bhawne, downplayed the incident, stating, "It’s a practice match. They are all former teammates. Such things happen. It’s all okay now and there is no issue."
This incident comes after Shaw’s recent switch from Mumbai to Maharashtra, where he had already signaled his impressive form with a score of 111 in the Buchi Babu tournament.
Prithvi Shaw boasts an impressive first-class record with 4,556 runs in 58 appearances at an average of 46.02, including 13 centuries and 18 half-centuries, with a top score of 379. In List-A games, he has accumulated 3,399 runs at an average of 55.72 with a strike rate of 125.74. His T20 career has seen him score 2,902 runs at a strike rate of 151.54 and an average of 25.01. Interestingly, Shaw went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction. He famously captained the Indian team to victory in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, a tournament where Shubman Gill was named player of the tournament.
A highly talented batsman from the outset of his career, Shaw made a sensational Test debut in 2018, scoring a century (134) against the West Indies in Rajkot at just 18 years old. He played his last of five Tests (339 runs at an average of 42.37, including two half-centuries) in a pink-ball Test in Adelaide in 2020. He has also featured in six One-Day Internationals and one T20 International, with his last white-ball appearance for India in July 2021.
This incident highlights the intense rivalries and emotions that can surface even in warm-up matches, especially between former teammates. It will be interesting to see how this affects future encounters between these players and teams.