New Delhi: India’s right-handed batter Prithvi Shaw has been confirmed to make a return to Northamptonshire for the second half of the 2024 county season. Shaw made an immediate impact in his stint with the club this summer, including smacking a record-breaking 244 off 153 balls against Somerset before a knee injury cut short his stay.
“I’m so excited to be heading back to Northamptonshire next summer. Even though it was over quickly I really enjoyed my time there, It’s a great club to be a part of and I felt so welcome by everyone immediately. I can’t wait to get back over,” said Shaw in a statement issued by the club.
Despite strong interest from other counties, Shaw said his preference was always with returning to Northamptonshire for another year, where he is expected to be available for selection in both the County Championship and the One Day Cup. He is scheduled to link up with the club from June 2024 till the end of the season.
“My goal is always to help win games for the team and it was so disappointing to get injured and have to leave early this time. I had a few teams contacting me after the tournament wanting to talk about playing for them next year, but I feel like I still have more to achieve with Northamptonshire. They gave me the opportunity this year and I’m very happy to be coming back,” he added.
Before the knee injury cut his stint short, Shaw, 23, averaged 143 in his 4 appearances, plundering 429 runs at a strike rate of 152, with his record-breaking 244 being the sixth-highest individual score in List A history.
Head coach John Sadler is also looking forward to welcoming Shaw, whose last international appearance came in 2021, back into the dressing room.
“Prithvi is a phenomenal talent and what he delivered for us in such a short space of time was incredible,” he said.
“He was utterly disappointed not to stay longer due to his injury as he wanted to play some red-ball cricket, so the chance for him to do this next year is really exciting for us all,” he added.
–IANS