India Test Squad: Here's why BCCI didn't select Prithvi Shaw for WTC Final and England series

New Delhi, May 9: Talented young India batsman Prithvi Shaw was ignored by the national selectors while announcing the Test squad for World Test Championship final and the five-Test series in England.

The BCCI on Friday (May 7) announced the 20-strong India squad for next month's WTC final against New Zealand and a five-match series against England. Shaw - who had a good show in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year - was not included in the squad and it came as a surprise to many.

The right-handed batsman from Mumbai has been in the national reckoning following his stupendous show at the domestic level.

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As per reports, the 21-year-old was sidelined for being overweight and has been advised by the BCCI to 'shed a few kilos' in order to make his comeback on the national side.

"Prithvi is still very slow across the turf for a 21-year-old. He needs to shed a few more kilos. He also had concentration issues while fielding in Australia. Shaw has been working hard since he returned from Australia. He has the example of Rishabh Pant right in front of him. If Pant can turn things around in a few months, Prithvi too can do it," a BCCI source was quoted by a Times of India report as saying.

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Shaw isn't the first cricketer lately who has been advised by the board to lose some weight if he has to make it to the senior side. Earlier, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was also asked to manage his weight before getting picked up again. Pant is now a regular member across all formats and his performance has also improved with the loss of weight.

Only losing a few kilos isn't just going to help Shaw draw the attention of the selectors, the Mumbaikar will have to perform consistently in a few tournaments as well. The talented batsman has been included in the national side in the past but he couldn't live up to the expectations and squandered those chances.

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"He has to sustain this form for a few more tournaments. He has often been picked on the basis of one good series and then he has struggled in international cricket. He is too good a player to be ignored for long," the source explained.