Prithvi Shaw - 13 year old prodigy from Mumbai

[Cricket Tragic]

For 13-year-old Prithvi Shaw it was a journey into the unknown as he packed his bags for a trip to the United Kingdom. But he is aware that it could well turn out to be the most important miles in his journey towards his dream of playing for India. Everyone who has seen the lad bat, including the great Sachin Tendulkar, has been left in awe by the potential he has shown and promise he holds for the future. Therefore, it was no surprise that Shaw was selected by AAP Entertainment, a company floated by former India spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, for a three-month coaching-cum-educational stint in Manchester. The batting prodigy will be based at Cheadle Hulme School, a 157-year-old educational institution, where he will undertake academic studies in the morning and engage in cricket with the school team in regular and local cup fixtures. Tendulkar first heard about Shaw nearly two years back after the right-hander scored runs aplenty, destroying every bowling attack that squared up against him. The master batsman had just completed his batting net sessions at the Mumbai Cricket Association ground in Bandra-Kurla complex in suburban Mumbai, when the sight of a 11-year-old displaying qualities of a top-notch batsman in the nets made him stop in his tracks. Impressed by Shaw's batting, Tendulkar gifted him an SG bat that suited his size. The same company now sponsors his cricketing gear. As he prepared to leave for England on May 1 the excitement was obvious; after all, it was his maiden trip overseas. "I just want the time to go faster and the clock to strike 10.30pm, because I just can't wait to board the flight and reach England," Shaw told Rediff.com hours before his departure His father Pankaj has given up a full-time business in order to fulfill his son's dream of playing for India someday. He was equally nervous as he mades sure all the necessary equipment was packed in his big suitcase along with a few photo copies of his visa and passport as back-up in case of an emergency. The father and son duo live in a one-room kitchen flat in Santacruz in suburban Mumbai which was gifted to them by a local corporator, who was also impressed with Prithvi's exploits. Pankaj recalled how his young son was forced to wake up everyday at 4.30 in the morning so he could take the earliest train from Virar, nearly 40-50 kms away from Mumbai, to his training ground in Bandra. It is almost impossible to board the local train carrying the big cricket kit bags once regular commuters pack the trains in the morning rush hour. Hence, the father-son duo had to sacrifice sleep and set out early. But since shifting to the Santacruz flat life has become easier; now they can concentrate on the cricket. In the era of the Indian Premier League, it is surprising to see a young kid disinterested in T20 cricket. Shaw only scans through the channels on his televison to check the live scores of a match before switching over to a hindi music channel. Asked whether he likes watching the IPL, he replied: "I only watch in between, not all the time." On whether he will prefer Test cricket or Twenty20 when he becomes a cricketer, his reply was quite mature. "Let me get there first and then I will decide. I haven't achieved anything yet; there's still a long way to go for me." His school, Rizvi Springfield in Bandra, is also supportive of his playing career. Rizvi coach Raju Pathak believes the boy is destined for big things and that a stint in England will prove crucial in honing his skills. "He is extremely talented. He has scored so much runs in school cricket and the way he scores his runs, it is a treat for the eyes. His batting even at such a young age is pure class," Pathak told Rediff.com. On his stint in the UK, Pathak said: "He will get the opportunity to play on seaming pitches, something which he will get to experience in India. This experience will only make him better as a cricketer and will augur well for his future." Like Prithvi waited in anticipation that evening for his flight to the UK, Mumbai's cricketing circles are hopeful that the wonderkid will develope into a great cricketer and continue the city's tradition of producing superstars.

[Crookbond]

I hope the tradition of Mumbai continues

[CasualVisitor]

What an answer! Seems level-headed. Hope he blossoms into someone as special as SRT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On whether he will prefer Test cricket or Twenty20 when he becomes a cricketer, his reply was quite mature. "Let me get there first and then I will decide. I haven't achieved anything yet; there's still a long way to go for me."

[Sidhoni]

:clap:

[msb1991]

What an answer! Seems level-headed. Hope he blossoms into someone as special as SRT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On whether he will prefer Test cricket or Twenty20 when he becomes a cricketer, his reply was quite mature. "Let me get there first and then I will decide. I haven't achieved anything yet; there's still a long way to go for me."

I hate the hyping of prodigies, but yeh, that is a pretty superb answer.

[Sidhoni]

IhHmVOwM8-g LyMyUZ0vD_o

[PaceAttack]

In the age of IPL and carnival cricket, he plays correctly and with the straightest bat. He is eight-year-old Prithvi Shaw from Virar, 4 feet tall but on his way to a bigger stature on the cricket field At 4:30 every morning, when kids his age are lost in their own private wonderlands, Prithvi Shaw shuns the pillow to begin another long day of cricket. Far from the primetime world of IPL with its cash and colour, the 4-ft-tall eight-year-old says, “I don't mind getting up so early because the thought of playing cricket makes my laziness vanish.” Like thousands of others in this nation of cricket fanatics, he too dreams of his moment in the floodlights. But unlike them, Prithvi’s story could have that rare happy ending—for, even at his age, the lad from Virar has made experts and enthusiasts sit up when he pads up and walks out to the middle. “When I first saw him, I could not believe that he played so well. In fact, nobody would unless he saw the kid playing,” says Raju Phatak, Prithvi’s coach at Rizvi School where he is a student in Class III. Prithvi’s genius is harnessed to his father Pankaj Shaw’s determination. At 4:30 every morning, 30-year-old Pankaj wakes up before Prithvi to prepare him for the 6:10 Virar local—their only connect to the stadiums of Mumbai. But the 70-km ride between Virar and Mumbai is not an easy one. “If we don’t make it for the 6:10 Virar local, it is impossible for my little boy to travel in the crowd with his cricket kit,” says Pankaj. The two bond easily, the fallout perhaps of Prithvi losing his mother to asthma when he was four. “I don’t miss my mother so much since my father takes care of me and is always with me,” says the youngster. To ensure his son has a chance at a better future, Pankaj has to inject a dollop of optimism into an irregular income that comes from renting out the mini earthmover he owns. It brings in a modest Rs 200-300 a day. “Though there are days when there is no business, we somehow manage,” says Pankaj. He also manages first-class tickets to spare his son the hassles of crowded compartments. Pankaj once ran a cloth business in Mumbai’s Malad area, but his partner duped him of his share.“Now I only concentrate on my son’s cricket,” he declares. “When he was two, Prithvi started playing in the nets with a leather ball,” he says, as proud of his son as the Tendulkars were once of the prodigy in their family. Prithvi hasn’t failed his father either. “My father cares a lot for me and it’s only because of him that I’m able to play and concentrate fully on the game,” says the lad, words that belie his tender age. He was admitted to Bandra’s Rizvi School on the recommendation of Vivek Kadam, whose Sainath Club is accredited with the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) and organises tournaments in and around Virar. But heroes hardly emerge from Virar. So Prithvi has to travel to Mumbai. “The point is that even if he is a champion in Virar, in Mumbai he is a nobody because of the exceptional talent in that city,” says Kadam, a former Railways cricketer. “Introducing him to Mumbai means the child will get the right kind of exposure because talent scouts and selectors do not come to these areas.” Rizvi Educational Society has now decided to provide Prithvi with accommodation in Bandra to save him the time and effort required to reach the stadiums in Churchgate. Since he started playing in the big city, Prithvi’s cricketing skills have seen an upswing. He was the youngest batsman in last year’s Under-14 Vinoo Mankad Tournament organised by the District Sports Organisation, but caught everyone’s eye with his skill. Then at this year’s Giles Schools Tournament, a 125-year-old event, Prithvi scored two half centuries and a 43, scores that helped his school finish runners-up. He scored a half century and a 47 in the Mumbai Under-13 selection matches. In the ongoing LIC Under-14 series of four Mumbai teams selected from a pool of the most promising young cricketers, Prithvi represents Sachin XI—almost a foretelling of things to come. In the era of heave-ho cricket, the youngster does not think much of the Twenty-20 hoopla. He plays correctly and with the straightest bat, even when he collects his colony mates for a bit of galli cricket. There is no carnival shot when a ball is bowled at him. Each of his strokes speaks of style, passion and determination. “My favourite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar,” he says, as if there could be any other. “I also like Dhoni,” he adds, “but only in one-day matches.” And then with a mischievous smile, he says, “But I think Dhoni should not play Test cricket.” He also says that he admires Sunil Gavaskar and Mohammed Azharuddin for their “great techniques”. At his humble home, against a backdrop of his collection of small bats, Prithvi picks up the bat gifted to him by Tendulkar. It’s a professional SG bat but of a size that suits the little boy. “These kinds of bats are not available in India in this size,” says Pankaj with admiration. In fact, the Indian maestro recently had a chat with Pankaj—the most memorable ten minutes of his life. “I could not bring myself to speak,” says Pankaj. “He told me to just let Prithvi be and allow him to develop his game by himself. He also said that I shouldn’t neglect Prithvi’s studies just because he is good at cricket,” says Pankaj, still savouring his time with the Indian legend. For a boy his age who has chosen to live a life on the sports field, it does come as a surprise when Pankaj says that the lad is actually good with his books and has consistently scored 80 per cent in his exams “Prithvi is our dream,” says Kadam, sitting on a verandah of the modest changing room of the Virar Nagar Parishad Cricket Ground, where Prithvi first faced a cricket ball at the age of two, 70 km from Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium that is home to some of the greatest names in international cricket. As the kid changes into his gear—his MIG gloves, the Morrant pads gifted to him by an English coach (who wants to take him to England to play county cricket), and his favourite SG bat with Tendulkar’s autograph on it—a metamorphoses unfolds. The callow child is gone and a mature player emerges. His shots are hard, fast and always along the ground. “Prithvi’s talent is totally natural and he does not need to be taught,” says Phatak. “There is a certain maturity in him when it comes to cricket, unlike other kids of his age or even those older than him. He really puts in a lot of effort and doesn’t miss even a single match.” That perhaps is the true mark of a rising crickete

http://www.funonthenet.in/forums/index.php?topic=91040.0;wap2 Mmmmmmm.....

[Cevno]

Sounds good.

[rkt.india]

Too young to talk about anything. So many like him have been talked a lot before. One was Rahul Tondulkar who could not even make it to Mumbai ranji team yet. http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_a-day-later-tondulkar-finds-place-in-under-17-team_1004715

[gaurav92]

:nice:

[nballa]

At 4:30 every morning, when kids his age are lost in their own private wonderlands

what the....

[daryl1985]

I hate the hyping of prodigies' date=' but yeh, that is a pretty superb answer.[/quote'] The other kid in the 2nd video is meant to be a wonder kid aswell isn't he? Are they in the same team?

[King]

Good on the lad, always nice to hear success stories of young kids. I think the next generation is going to be even better than the current ones. I've heard quite a bit about this kid. I'm certain he will have a few ups and downs but if he keeps at it he will definitely achieve what he sets out to. Just need to make sure he continues to work hard. Pretty much every international cricketer would have been worth his salt in his younger days. I go back to the 10,000 hours at a skill to master it. This kid could be one of them. On the same account we have seen several kids with great ability, we have one of our own. Although NZ sounds a tiny county in the map for cricket at least, we do have our Kane Williamsons and so forth. Just check on our own boy (our club lad) RnUIIi5PmOc&feature=g-upl LiGihpozsFo&feature=g-upl Now tell me, is it really impossible for Prithvi Shaw to also not be good?

[Cricket Tragic]

“My favourite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar,” he says, as if there could be any other. “I also like Dhoni,” he adds, “but only in one-day matches.”

[Roshanrocks]

Gavaskar gave SRT a bat early on in his shildhood, Now SRT gifts a bat to Prithvi :woot: Hope all goes well in his career... touchwood...

[Roshanrocks]

HUtt Hawk Rachin luks nice in the nets... I hope he has a good future :nice:

[Sachinism]

OMG Ravi, BIG thanks for sharing Rachin videos. I think his coach removed all the older vids of him on youtube. Hows he doing these days? Scoring runs, making an impression on the age groups?

[King]

OMG Ravi, BIG thanks for sharing Rachin videos. I think his coach removed all the older vids of him on youtube. Hows he doing these days? Scoring runs, making an impression on the age groups?

No worries mate. The reason for removal was several starting from approaches from agents to requests for coaching others like him :haha: Going great guns, plenty of runs through out. Has had unbelievable run of form, I think at one stage there were 11 knocks over 50 without getting out. Obviously with the growth in the last couple of years there's a lot of strength in his shots as you can see from the videos. The bat size is slightly bigger than before with a bit more meat.

[Crookbond]

Gavaskar gave SRT a bat early on in his shildhood, Now SRT gifts a bat to Prithvi :woot: Hope all goes well in his career... touchwood...

I think it was pads not bat.

[Sidhoni]

Rachin looks really good :nice: