Beginning their first innings after Chhattisgarh made 252, Shaw was the standout performer for Maharashtra which folded for 217. (PTI Photo)Out-of-favour India batter Prithvi Shaw’s decision to move from Mumbai and play for the Maharashtra state cricket team has turned out to be a fruitful move for him until now. Shaw smoked a ton in his very first outing with Maharashtra. His 122-ball century came during the first innings against Chhattisgarh in the opening round of the Buchi Babu Trophy 2025 in Chennai.Shaw’s renewed energy is batting, and his willingness to improve his fitness has increased the Maharashtra chief selector, Akshay Darekar’s faith in the India international. Darekar believes that Shaw is now on the right track in his career, and this season could be his year of turnaround.“Prithvi is on the right track. There was never an issue with his batting. He is focused and keen to make a statement with his bat. He is completely committed to his fitness too and has been doing his training drills religiously,” Darekar was quoted as saying by Mid-Day.Shaw had been granted a no-objection certificate from Mumbai to change teams in June. “At this stage of my career, I believe joining the Maharashtra team will help me grow further as a cricketer,” Shaw said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to the Mumbai Cricket Association for the opportunities and support I have received over the years.”Widely rated as one of the most exciting young talents in the world during his teenage years, Shaw’s international career petered out after five Tests, six ODIs and a T20I, with his last match for India coming in July 2021. He remained prolific in the domestic scene for a couple of years after that as well before his sharp decline last season.Darekar said Shaw is hungry to score big runs. The India opener scored a ton and a half-century in his four outings.“We know he always likes to play aggressively and dominate the opposition. And he batted the same way in his first two matches for Maharashtra at the Buchi Babu Tournament. His class was evident in both those knocks. He is hungry to score big runs. The target is to help Maharashtra reach the Ranji knockouts through his strong performances,” said Darekar.Story continues below this ad“The more he performs, the better it will be, not just for our team but also for him, as he can achieve his individual goals too. He realises that this upcoming season will be crucial for him, and he wants to make it count,” he added.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd