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XtraTime News Desk: Prithvi Shaw first came into prominence as a 14 year old when he scored an unprecedented 546 runs in Mumbai’s Harris Shield in November 2013. The boy from Virar has braved all the odds in life to reach the stage where he is today. From leading India U19 to World Cup in 2018 to becoming the youngest Indian batsman to score a century on test debut against West Indies the same year in October, the international cricket journey for young Prithvi has been smooth so far. Prithvi also made his ODI debut during the series against New Zealand in 2020.

Except for the odd hiccup when Prithvi was suspended for 8 months by BCCI for doping violations, the youngster has been in the news for all the good reasons. He unknowingly took a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match in 2019.

For Prithvi, it was a life full of struggles during his early days. He lost his mother when he was only 4 years old. His father Pankaj woke him up every day at 4:30am to get him ready to catch the 6am train to the MIG ground at Bandra for training. The 90-minute journey from Virar, a middle-class Mumbai suburb, became part of his daily routine as dad and son lived a dream.

Prithvi’s life took a turn when he was spotted by former Mumbai left arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, who signed him for his sports management company for an annual stipend of Rs 3 lakhs in 2010. The talented cricketer was also offered a flat in Santa Cruz by a corporator, so as to reduce the stress of his train journey everyday from Virar to Bandra. It considerably reduced travel time and helped Prithvi focus on his cricket and of course, studies.

Prithvi's immense batting talent impressed former County cricketer Julian Wood as he offered him a stint at his English academy. He also spent three months in Manchester in 2012 where he scored a century on his debut school match Cheadle Hulme School in Cheshire.

The following year Prithvi scored that magnificent 546 runs for Rizvi Springfields in the Harris Shield. His marathon 330 ball knock included 85 fours and 5 sixes. A string of good performances soon followed, including centuries on debut in both Ranji Trophy (2016-17) and Duleep Trophy (2017) - a feat only previously achieved only by the Great Sachin Tendulkar, thereby drawing comparisons of great magnitude with the little master and being hailed as one of the future batting mainstays of Indian cricket. Whether Shaw can live up to the expectations of matching his role model and mentor Sachin Tendulkar only time will say.