18-year-old Prithvi Shaw will lead the three-time U-19 World Cup champions in New Zealand in 2018
Mumbai's teenaged batting sensation Prithvi Shaw has had a rewarding 2017. Probably, the last of the year's top honours came his way yesterday when he was named captain of India's under-19 squad for next year's World Cup in New Zealand [January 13 to February 3]. Shaw, 18, who has scored five centuries in eight first-class games, was already in ODI mood on the evening of Day Three in the last Ranji Trophy league game against Tripura at Wankhede Stadium last week. He smashed an unbeaten 50 off just 29 balls to hand Mumbai a 10-wicket win in a crucial tie.
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Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw
The following day, Prithvi Shaw helped India Red beat Sri Lanka Board President's XI by four wickets with a 44-ball 63 in the U-19 Challenger Trophy one-dayer at Brabourne Stadium. "Though I have led India under-19 earlier, the World Cup will be an altogether different challenge for me. It's a huge responsibility, but I am ready to shoulder it with the support of all my teammates," Shaw told mid-day yesterday. In June, the Mumbai lad led India U-19 to a 5-0 ODI series win over England. Interestingly, Shaw will have to be at his best in red ball cricket once again as he is part of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team that will take on Karnataka in the quarter-final at Nagpur from Thursday. Later, he will join his U-19 teammates and coach Rahul Dravid in Bangalore on December 12 for a World Cup preparatory camp that starts Friday.
Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw
Shaw flew to Sri Lanka yesterday to attend a captains meeting before the World Cup. He will now join the Mumbai team in Nagpur on Tuesday. When asked about the challenges in New Zealand where the ball will swing, he said: "New Zealand is a totally new venue for us. But we will be there in advance and get used to the pitches and weather conditions." Punjab's Shubman Gill, who scored 129 against Services in a Ranji Trophy game at Amritsar last week, is Shaw's deputy. "It's a big surprise for me. I didn't really expect to be vice-captain of the team for this mega tournament. I want to contribute in a big way to bring the U-19 World Cup back to our country. I have already started practising the cut and pull shot since pitches in New Zealand will have bounce and the side boundaries are shorter," Gill told mid-day yesterday.
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