Sports

Indian Cricket Doping: Seven Incredible Things You Need To Know About Prithvi Shaw

Questions will be asked and fingers will be pointed at Prithvi Shaw, but let's forget his "inadvertent" crime and know seven incredible things about the prodigious opener

Advertisement

Indian Cricket Doping: Seven Incredible Things You Need To Know About Prithvi Shaw
info_icon

Prodigious opener Prithvi Shaw was slapped with an eight-month ban by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday after failing a dope test.

The 19-year-old inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, Terbutaline, when he used an over-the-counter cough syrup.

Eight months on the sidelines for a future-star is a very long time but the fast-rising player has promised to come out faster and stronger, and sought support from everyone.

Shaw, who's nursing an injury, has not been selected in the Indian squad for the upcoming series in the West Indies. He will miss home series against South Africa, but will be available for the second Test of the subsequent two-match series against Bangladesh.

Advertisement

Here are five things to know about the talented batsman:

1. Shaw (18 years and 329 days) made history by becoming the youngest Indian and fourth overall to hit a century on debut during the first Test match between India and West Indies at Rajkot, last year. He broke Abbas Ali Baig's record (20 years and 131 days, vs England at Old Trafford in 1959).

2. In the same match, he also became the youngest Test opener for India. The record previously belonged to Vijay Mehra, who was 17 years and 265 days, when opened against New Zealand at Mumbai in 1955.

Advertisement

3. The only other ‘Shaw’ to play Test cricket was England’s Alfred Shaw. Yes, the one who delivered the first-ever ball in Test cricket on March 15, 1877, against Australia.

4. Shaw became the second-youngest player, Sachin Tendulkar, to score a century for Mumbai, achieving the feat on his Ranji debut at the age of 17.

5. Shaw once hit 546 (a national record) for Rizvi Springfield against St Francis D’Assisi in an inter-school match in Harris Shield. He smashed 85 fours and five sixes.

6. Shaw, at 17 years and 320 days, became the second-youngest player to score a hundred in the Duleep Trophy, breaking Tendulkar's record, again. Byt the way, he has hit hundreds on debut in Ranji, Duleep and Test.

7. He captained India win the U-19 World Cup title in 2018. He scored 261 runs in six matches, becoming the highest run-scorer among Indian captains in the tournament’s history.

Advertisement