'Gavaskar ends 'weight and shape' debate by revealing Prithvi Shaw's body fat percentage was 35% higher than Sarfaraz Khan'

Gavaskar, the former India captain, strongly asserts that a cricketer's omission should not be based on their weight, especially when it comes to a player of Shaw's talent and potential. Despite being out of form currently, Shaw has proven himself on the international stage with a century on his Test debut for India. While disciplinary issues can lead to exclusion from the team, Gavaskar firmly believes that 'weight and shape' should never be the deciding factor for Shaw's omission from the Indian squad. As the first player to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket, Gavaskar's opinion holds significant weight in the cricketing world.

"Speaking of domestic matches, defending Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai have dropped Prithvi Shaw from their team that is currently in Tripura. There have been mixed reports about his omission from the Ranji team. If it's about his attitude, approach and discipline, then it’s understandable, but hopefully, it has nothing to do with his weight, as one report seems to have suggested. That report suggested that he had 35 per cent more body fat," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

Shaw's professional career is at an all-time low. Back after a long injury layoff, Shaw has scored just one fifty-plus score from 15 innings dating back to August. His fitness and form are a concern, due to which he is likely to be released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2025 player auction. Having last played for India in July of 2021, Shaw is nowhere in contention to playing for India anytime again.

The deal breaker behind Gavaskar's stance has to do with what another Mumbai batter is achieving for Team India. Sarfaraz Khan, not the leanest of players around, just couple of weeks ago, sizzled for India during the first Test against New Zealand, scoring a blistering 150 in the second innings of the Bengaluru game. If Sarfaraz's physique is not preventing Team India from giving him chances, Shaw should be given the same treatment.

"We have seen in the previous Test in Bengaluru how another player Sarfaraz Khan, whose weight and shape have also been discussed in the public domain, played a scintillating innings of 150, showing that it is not the shape or the size of your waist that determines cricket fitness. It's whether you can score 150-plus runs and that too bat for a whole day or bowl 20-plus overs in a day. That should be the only criteria of a player’s fitness. By the way, how many players with zero per cent or minimal body fat have scored 379 like Prithvi Shaw? I rest my case about fitness," added Gavaskar.