In a tournament that often slips under the radar, Prithvi Shaw managed to turn on the floodlights, metaphorically and literally, in the final league fixture of the T20 Mumbai League 2025.

A swashbuckling 75 off just 34 balls for the North Mumbai Panthers wasn’t just a match-winning knock against a side captained by Suryakumar Yadav; it was a reminder that the enfant terrible of Indian cricket still carries a bat laced with magic.

Shaw's breathtaking display of strokeplay, peppered with audacious flicks over square leg, booming cover drives, and several clean hits down the ground, powered North Mumbai Panthers to a morale-boosting 39-run victory.

Racing to his half-century in just 22 balls, Shaw ensured his team ended their campaign on a high despite falling short of the playoffs, finishing fifth with two wins from five matches.

The performance served as a timely reminder of Shaw's extraordinary talent, the same gifts that once prompted former India head coach Ravi Shastri to declare there was "a bit of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Brian Lara" in the youngster's game.

Yet for all the pyrotechnics at the Wankhede Stadium, this was merely the latest chapter in cricket's most perplexing riddle: how did someone so blessed become his own worst enemy?

The golden boy's meteoric rise

Shaw's trajectory was once the stuff of cricketing fairy tales. In 2013, aged just 14, he smashed an extraordinary 546 runs off 330 balls for Rizvi Springfield in the Harris Shield, then the highest score in Indian schools cricket.

Mumbai’s Prithvi Shaw poses for photographs with the championship trophy after winning the T20 cricket final match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) against Madhya Pradesh PTI

Five years later, he became the youngest Indian to score a century on Test debut, achieving the feat at 18 years and 246 days in October 2018.

The records tumbled with startling regularity. Shaw captained India's Under-19 team to World Cup glory in 2018, scored centuries on debut in both the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, joining only Sachin Tendulkar in this exclusive club, and became the youngest player to open the batting in the IPL.

His 227 not out against Pondicherry in the 2020-21 Vijay Hazare Trophy remains the tournament's highest individual score, part of a record-breaking 827-run haul that season.

The unraveling

The warning signs had been mounting like storm clouds on a clear horizon. Shaw's last Test appearance was in December 2020, and his final ODI was in July 2021.

Despite his undeniable talent, selectors grew increasingly wary of his professionalism and consistency.

Mumbai Cricket Association officials paint a starker picture. Shaw has "repeatedly violated disciplinary guidelines," missing training sessions and returning to team hotels at odd hours, sometimes as late as 6am.

During the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, officials were "forced to hide" Shaw on the field due to his lack of effort. "The ball would pass near him, and he would barely make an effort to reach it," a Hindustan Times report had stated, quoting MCA officials.

The frustration reached breaking point when Shaw was dropped from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad for fitness issues, then omitted from the Vijay Hazare Trophy team entirely.

Delhi Capitals, his IPL franchise, released him after a disappointing 2024 campaign, and he went unsold at the 2025 auction.

Voices of concern and hope

Cricket has rarely been short of opinions, and Shaw's case has attracted them from all corners. In 2024, Greg Chappell wrote him a letter urging "self-reflection."

Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer was blunt: "We can't babysit anyone. He needs to get his work ethic right, and if he does that, the sky is the limit for him."

Ricky Ponting, his former IPL coach at Delhi Capitals, publicly questioned his professionalism before the franchise released him.

"He should be the first pick in most teams with his skill," Ponting told Cricbuzz. "But skill alone isn't enough at this level."

Yet amid the criticism, voices of support persist. Punjab Kings' Shashank Singh, who has known Shaw since he was 13, believes redemption remains possible.

"Prithvi Shaw is underrated. If he goes back to his basics, he can achieve anything," Singh said in a recent podcast.

"Maybe he can change something about his work ethic, maybe sleep at 10pm instead of 11pm, maybe improve his diet. If he can accept and change some of these things, it would be the best thing for Indian cricket."

The road back

Shaw's recent performances in the T20 Mumbai League offer tentative hope. His 75 off 34 balls in the final league match was preceded by a brisk 33 off 23 balls in the Panthers' first victory of the tournament.

At 25, Shaw stands at cricket's crossroads. His talent remains undimmed. 1,892 IPL runs, including 14 half-centuries, and a highest score of 379 in first-class cricket serve as testament to his ability.

The question is whether he possesses the discipline and determination to complement his gifts.

The T20 Mumbai League may seem a modest stage for someone who once commanded international headlines, but sometimes the journey back to the summit begins with the smallest steps.

For Prithvi Shaw, one of cricket's most talented enigma, these baby steps might just represent the first strides toward redemption.

The puzzle remains unsolved, but perhaps the pieces are finally beginning to align.