Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal might not get selected for England ODIs – Report

Despite the heroics in the Vijay Hazare 2020-21 season, Mumbai skipper Prithvi Shaw and Karnataka opener Devdutt Padikkal might not get selected for the upcoming three-match ODI series against England. Shaw has been in sublime form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as he scored 827 runs in the eight matches, including four hundred, out of which three were the big ones.

Before the final against Uttar Pradesh, Shaw was averaging 188.50 and he was striking at 134.88. Furthermore, Shaw also broke Mayank Agarwal’s record of scoring most runs in the Vijay Hazare trophy as the latter had scored 723 runs in the 2018 edition.

On the other hand, Devdutt Padikkal was at his best as he scored 737 runs at an unbelievable average of 147.50 and an impressive average of 95.96 in the Vijay Hazare trophy.

Thus, it was expected that either or both of them might get their chances for England ODIs but that is not going to be the case. Shaw and Padikkal could have been added to the squad if either Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma had taken the rest.

A BCCI official told PTI that both of these youngsters will need to wait for their turn.

“They have done exceedingly well but will have to wait for their turn,” he said. “The team is expected to be announced tomorrow. Neither skipper Virat Kohli nor his deputy Rohit Sharma has opted for rest. There aren’t many surprises as we prepare for World T20.” 

Meanwhile, Prithvi Shaw had struggled to get going in the first Test match against Australia at Adelaide as he found himself at sea while facing the new moving ball. Shaw was dropped from the second Test match but he was able to turn the tables in the domestic circuit.

Shaw had played three ODIs against New Zealand in 2020 but had failed to grab his opportunity as he could only muster 80 runs in the three-match series. On the other hand, Padikkal had impressed with his batting skills while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020.

The first ODI against England will take place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on 23 March behind closed doors.