Prithvi Shaw to captain Maharashtra in Ranji Trophy opener, replacing Ruturaj Gaikwad

Prithvi Shaw has been named Maharashtra captain for the first match of the coming Ranji Trophy season. He takes over the responsibility from Ruturaj Gaikwad. Shaw has been in the news lately over his personal life. He and his fiancee, Akriti, recently decided to part ways. Even so, Shaw will once again be seen on the cricket field.

Maharashtra will begin their campaign on October 11 against Services in New Delhi, in a Group C match. The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season also begins on October 11.

The regular captain, Gaikwad, is not in Maharashtra's 16-member squad. He will captain the India A team in a three-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A. The matches between India A and Australia A will be played in Puducherry on October 6, 9 and 11. Maharashtra all-rounder Arshin Kulkarni has also been picked in the India A team for the series. In Gaikwad's absence, Shaw will lead Maharashtra.

Before the 2025-26 domestic season, Shaw left the Mumbai team and joined Maharashtra. He performed brilliantly for Maharashtra that season, scoring 537 runs in 11 innings across seven matches, and gave his critics a fitting reply. He was also Maharashtra's highest run-scorer.

Shaw has played five Tests for India, scoring 339 runs, and six ODIs, in which he has 189 runs. He last played for India in 2021 and has not been picked for the national side since.

At one time Shaw was compared with Sachin Tendulkar. His record as captain in both red-ball and white-ball cricket has been impressive. India won the Under-19 World Cup in 2018 under his captaincy, with Shubman Gill part of that team.

Shaw later captained Mumbai in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season and led them to the final, where they lost to Madhya Pradesh. He then led Mumbai to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title. He scored 827 runs that season, with a highest score of 227. He is now set to lead Maharashtra once again.