Prithvi Shaw called up to Mumbai squad for semi-final

Mumbai, the defending Ranji Trophy champions, have called up 17-year old Prithvi Shaw to their squad for the semi-final clash against Tamil Nadu in Rajkot on New Year's day. Shaw replaced 27-year-old, left-handed batsman Kevin Almeida in the only change from the team that defeated Hyderabad by 30 runs in the quarter-final in Raipur.

Almeida failed to make an impression in the only match he played this season, scoring 9 and 1 while opening the innings. He also spilled a catch, fielding at slips, in Hyderabad's second innings.

Shaw was also part of the India Under-19 squad that won the Youth Asia Cup in Sri Lanka earlier this month. He scored 191 runs in five matches, including a highest score of 89.

Shaw shot to prominence when he scored 546 off 330 balls in an innings that contained 85 fours and five sixes for Rizvi Springfield against St Francis D'Assisi in a Harris Shield game in November, 2013. Shaw's innings was then the highest score in school cricket, a record he held for just over two years until it was beaten by Pranav Dhanawade, also a Mumbai school cricketer, who became the first player to score 1000 runs in an innings in January this year.

Shaw's inclusion has been forced by a slew of injuries to Mumbai. They have already lost their regular opener Akhil Herwadkar, who is still recovering from a fractured ankle. Shubham Ranjane and Dhawal Kulkarni, their pace spearhead, as well as India regulars Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma are all recovering from various injuries.