India batter Prithvi Shaw faces at least three months on the sidelines as he battles a knee injury. This means he will most definitely miss a big chunk of India's 2023-24 domestic season that resumes with the Irani Cup in Rajkot on October 1.
Shaw picked up the injury while playing for Northamptonshire in the one-day championship fixture against Durham, and subsequent scans revealed the injury was a lot worse than initially expected.
After initially consulting a surgeon in London, Shaw returned to the NCA in Bengaluru for another assessment. At the moment, the medical team is examining all possible options regarding Shaw's treatment and surgery is likely to be the last resort.
A Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official told ESPNcricinfo that they would adopt a wait-and-watch approach with Shaw and be in touch with the NCA over the possibility of him being ready for the Ranji Trophy in January. For now, though, it seems certain that he won't play in the limited-overs competitions beginning with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on October 16.
The injury comes as a setback for Shaw at a time when his stocks were on the rise. He was the highest run-getter in the one-day competition with 429 runs in four innings, including a record-breaking 244 off 153 balls against Somerset, at the time of his injury.
Shaw was last part of the India squad for the home T20Is against New Zealand in February and subsequently went through a rough patch for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023, featuring in just eight of the 14 games where he made 106 runs. Eventually, he missed the cut for selection in India's second-rung squad for the T20Is in Ireland as well as the Asian Games.
Shaw was part of West Zone for the Duleep Trophy in July following which he flew to the UK to play in the one-day competition for Northants. A short red-ball stint prior to the 50-over games was also on the cards, but those didn't materialize due to a delay in his visa process. As things stand, Shaw has confirmed a return to Northants for 2024, where he'll feature for the team across formats.
"I'm so excited to be heading back to Northamptonshire next summer," he had said upon his return. "Even though it was over quickly, I really enjoyed my time there. It's a great club to be a part of and I was welcomed by everyone immediately. I can't wait to get back. My goal is always to help win games for the team and it was so disappointing to get injured and have to leave early this time."