"He should not take things for granted" - WV Raman on Prithvi Shaw's India ambitions

Prithvi Shaw is currently leading Mumbai in the final of the Ranji Trophy 2022 against Madhya Pradesh.

Many believe the 22-year-old should have been on the plane to Ireland for the two-match T20I series scheduled for this month. Shaw has made a reputation for himself as a dangerous opener over the past few years, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

There were quite a few eyebrows raised when he wasn't named in India's squad for the Ireland series.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, former Indian cricketer WV Raman explained that Prithvi Shaw shouldn't be disheartened as he is still very young. Raman believes Shaw has enough time to make a strong comeback for India while adding that the youngster needs to be disciplined. He said:

"It's going to be a little bit of a tough road but Prithvi is facing it when he is young. Age is on his side and this kind of reversal would really make him understand a lot of things."

Raman added:

"He will realize that he got a break when he was young and had a great patch to get into the Indian side. But he needs to keep that going and not take things for granted."

Shaw also failed to make it into the Indian squad for their series against South Africa even though the Men in Blue rested several senior players.

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Don't see any reason why Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw can't play all three formats: WV Raman

Like Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill also didn't feature in the Indian squad for the South Africa series despite impressing in the IPL. However, Raman feels both youngsters have enough time and talent to develop their game and become all-format players for India. He stated:

"Players like Shubman and Prithvi are highly talented. They have been brought up in the current age where they play all formats of the game. They can adapt and go on to play all three formats at the biggest stage in the future."

Raman added:

"As long as both Shubman and Prithvi keep working on their skills and stay fit, I don't see any reason why they can't play all three formats. Currently, Test cricket is also following the idea of getting runs quickly, with batters belonging to that style of play."

With KL Rahul injured, it will be interesting to see if Gill makes his comeback to the Indian side as an opener in the one-off Test against England.