Prithvi Shaw's return to the Ranji Trophy turned out to be a forgettable affair as the talented batter was dismissed in the first over of the clash between
Maharashtra and Kerala for a four-ball duck. The right-handed batter had joined Maharashtra ahead of the season after securing a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). This was after he had been dropped from the Mumbai team the previous season, with questions being raised about his fitness and discipline. His last appearance for the side came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final in December 2024.
Kerala won the toss on Wednesday, October 15, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram and opted to field first. This decision came to fruition instantly as Md Nidheesh struck in his first over to send Shaw packing. The right-arm speedster's full delivery, which came in with the arm from the over-the-wicket angle, rapped Shaw on his front pad as he missed the on drive. The umpire didn't take too much time to raise his finger.
Shaw had a brief chat with fellow opener Arshin Kulkarni, which was surprising as no DRS was being used in the match. The umpires checked for a no-ball, but Nidheesh didn't err on that front. Shaw had to take the long walk back to the hut.
Maharashtra lose four wickets inside four overs
Things went from bad to worse for Maharashtra as they lost the wicket of Siddhesh Veer off the fifth ball of the innings. Kerala had their tails up after picking up two wickets in as many balls. However, their dream start would only get better in the second over.
Nedumankuzhy Basil struck off his first ball to dismiss Kulkarni for a golden duck. This brought Maharashtra captain Ankit Bawne to the crease. However, the 32-year-old departed in the fourth over, falling victim to Basil. The away side slumped to 5/4 in 3.2 overs at the fall of this wicket. The onus will now be on Ruturaj Gaikwad to bail his team out of trouble. Also, the likes of Saurabh Nawale and Jalaj Saxena will have to give him good company.