'What A Comeback,' Fans React As Prithvi Shaw Announces Ranji Trophy Return With A Century For Mumbai

Prithvi Shaw marked a triumphant return to competitive cricket with a century on Friday, his second game back for Mumbai after nearly a five-month hiatus. Shaw re-entered competitive cricket during a Ranji Trophy match against Bengal last week, where he scored 35 while opening the batting. In a subsequent match against Chhattisgarh, which Mumbai won by an innings and 4 runs, Shaw dazzled on Day 1 with an unbeaten 158 at the time of this report. Mumbai reached 242/0 by the Tea break, with Shaw's innings featuring 18 fours and three sixes. 

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This comeback comes after Shaw's last competitive appearance in August 2023, when he sustained a knee injury while representing Northamptonshire in a one-day game. Fans went crazy on social after the Delhi Capitals and India cricketer smashed a sensational ton on his return to domestic cricket. Checkout the reactions below...

HUNDRED FOR PRITHVI SHAW..

He was injured, missed SMAT, VHT, half part of Ranji Trophy but he has returned in some brilliant touch & smashed his 13th first class hundred from 80 innings.  pic.twitter.com/QEzszBbkyH  Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 9, 2024

Hundred for Prithvi Shaw in Ranji Trophy. He's back. pic.twitter.com/7jYfZ7bZnH  (@LoyalSachinFan) February 9, 2024

150* for Prithvi Shaw

what a comeback after his injury pic.twitter.com/3IYQcy8lMv  Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952_) February 9, 2024

Century for Prithvi Shaw...
He is back

102 balls HUNDRED for Prithvi Shaw in Ranji Trophy vs Chhattisgarh. #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/JzsEsTeBA8  Varun Giri (@Varungiri0) February 9, 2024

Prithvi Shaw is Cooking pic.twitter.com/sSGxmqC45h  Pulkit (@pulkit5Dx) February 9, 2024

Shaw's dismal performance in IPL 2023 for Delhi Capitals saw him amass only 106 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 124.71 before being sidelined. However, his recent century brings a glimmer of hope for the Capitals as they aim for a stronger showing in IPL 2024. (Ravindra Jadeja Slams Father's Allegation, Says He Is Attempting To Spoil Wife's Image)

During IPL 2024, Delhi faced challenges with Shaw's batting struggles and Rishabh Pant's absence due to a car accident. This led to a disappointing ninth-place finish in the 10-team table, securing only five wins from 14 games.

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting that Rishabh Pant is "very confident" about playing the entire Indian Premier League (IPL) but the former Baggy Greens star is unsure whether he would be able to play the wicketkeeping role. Pant is yet to make an appearance after the injuries that he sustained during an accident in December 2022.

Ahead of the upcoming IPL season, Ponting stated that Pant was optimistic about his return but the former Australia skipper feels that anything that they get from the 26-year-old will be bonus for the team. (Big Blow To India As Shreyas Iyer Injured Ahead Of IND vs ENG 3rd Test)

"Rishabh is very confident that he's going to be right to play. In what capacity we're not quite sure yet. You would have seen all the social-media stuff, he's up and about and running well. But in saying that we're only six weeks away from the first game as well. So we're not sure if we'll get wicketkeeping out of him this year," Ponting said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

"But I'll guarantee if I asked him now he'll say, 'I'm playing every game, I'm keeping every game and I'm batting at No.4.' That's just what he's like, but we'll keep our fingers crossed. He's such a dynamic player. He's obviously our captain. We missed him incredibly last year. If you understand the journey he's been on the last 12-13 months, it was a horrific incident. One that I know he feels very lucky to have even survived, let alone have the chance to play cricket again," Ponting added.

"We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can be out there and play. Even if it's not all the games, if we can manage him through 10 of the 14 games or whatever that might be then whatever games you can get out of him will be a bonus," Ponting stated.

Ponting further went on to reveal that Australia's veteran batter David Warner will assume the captaincy role if Pant would be unavailable to do the job.

"With Harry Brook coming into the set-up as well, so Warner, [Mitch] Marsh, Harry Brook, we've got some really good overseas batters. Marsh and Warner will bat up the top somewhere and Harry Brook has been finishing off with England, so he'll probably play a finishing role for us there," Ponting said.

"[If] we can get [Anrich] Nortje and Jhye Richardson fit, and with the two spin options we've got with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav we've got a really good squad that to be fair has probably underperformed the last couple of years, so we've got some work to do," Ponting added. (With ANI inputs)