‘How many with minimal body fat have scored 379 like him?’ – Sunil Gavaskar throws weight behind Prithvi Shaw after Mumbai snub

Sunil Gavaskar throws weight behind Prithvi Shaw after Mumbai snub.

Sunil Gavaskar came to the aid of Prithvi Shaw, who has been dropped from Mumbai’s squad for their third-round clash against Tripura because he had more than 35% body fat. Additionally, disciplinary issues have also been reported as causes for his ouster.

Gavaskar said that it understandable if incidents of indiscipline contributed to his exclusion. However, the former India opener mentioned that “weight and shape” should be the last reason behind Shaw’s Mumbai snub.

“Speaking of domestic matches, defending Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai have dropped Prithvi Shaw from their team that is currently in Tripura. There have been mixed reports about his omission from the Ranji team. If it’s about his attitude, approach and discipline, then it’s understandable, but hopefully, it has nothing to do with his weight, as one report seems to have suggested. That report suggested that he had 35 per cent more body fat,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

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Shaw has not been in great form with the willow as he has scored just one half-century from 15 innings dating back to August. The 24-year-old had terrible IPL seasons with the bat for Delhi Capitals in 2023 and 2024 and he is likely to be released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction. In four innings in Ranji Trophy 2024-25, the right-handed batter scored just 59 runs before being dropped from the side.

Look at Sarfaraz Khan: Sunil Gavaskar

Sarfaraz Khan, who is also from Mumbai and does not have a lean frame, smashed 150 in the second Test between India and England. Gavaskar cited his example and said that Shaw also has the potential to get into the Indian team irrespective of his weight. The 75-year-old asked how many lean players have scored 379 like Shaw did against Assam in the Ranji Trophy in January 2023.

“We have seen in the previous Test in Bengaluru how another player Sarfaraz Khan, whose weight and shape have also been discussed in the public domain, played a scintillating innings of 150, showing that it is not the shape or the size of your waist that determines cricket fitness. It’s whether you can score 150-plus runs and that too bat for a whole day or bowl 20-plus overs in a day. That should be the only criteria of a player’s fitness. By the way, how many players with zero per cent or minimal body fat have scored 379 like Prithvi Shaw? I rest my case about fitness,” said Gavaskar.

Mumbai are placed at 7/2 at the end of Day 3 in their second innings against Tripura after taking a 148-run lead in the first. Suryansh Shedge, Shams Mulani, Himanshu Singh, and Shardul Thakur scored half-centuries in the first innings for the defending champions. Himanshu and Mulani also contributed with the ball as they bagged six and three wickets, respectively, in Tripura’s first innings.