Follow UsPrithvi Shaw made a switch from Mumbai to Maharashtra ahead of the start of India’s 2025-26 domestic cricket season. He celebrated that by hitting a century in the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 on his maiden outing for his new team. That has increased the Maharashtra chief selector’s faith in the India international.
Akshay Darekar, who himself is not too old, understands what fitness demands, regular exercise and discipline, believes that Shaw is on the right track and, as Shaw himself said earlier, 2025-26 could be his year of turnaround.
"Prithvi is on the right track. There was never an issue with his batting. He is focused and keen to make a statement with his bat. He is completely committed to his fitness too and has been doing his training drills religiously," Darekar was quoted as saying to Mid-Day.
Just as Darekar, who played for Maharashtra himself not very long ago in 2019, said, Prithvi has shown in two of his four innings played so far for Maharashtra that he wants to improve. He ran more singles, did not let go of chances after settling and converted one of two fifty-plus scores into a hundred.
"We know he always likes to play aggressively and dominate the opposition. And he batted the same way in his first two matches for Maharashtra at the Buchi Babu Tournament. His class was evident in both those knocks. He is hungry to score big runs. The target is to help Maharashtra reach the Ranji knockouts through his strong performances," revealed Darekar.
Saying that Maharashtra is hoping to count on him and, alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, see him as a guiding force to take the state to new eights in all three formats this season, Darekar added, "The more he performs, the better it will be, not just for our team but also for him, as he can achieve his individual goals too. He realises that this upcoming season will be crucial for him, and he wants to make it count."
After playing two matches, though, Shaw did not feature in the third group stage game for the side in the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025, which is in progress against Himachal Pradesh.