Opening batsman Prithvi Shaw is all set for a comeback in a newer version after serving an eight-month suspension for a doping violation.
On his birthday, Shaw posted a video on Twitter where he can be seen practicing in the nets and captioned the post, "I turn 20 today. I assure it will be Prithvi Shaw 2.0 going forward. Thank u for all the good wishes & support. Will be back in action soon. #motivation #hardwork #believe."
On Friday, Milind Rege, chairman of the Mumbai's ad-hoc selection panel said that Shaw's selection will certainly be discussed for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad.
"He will be free to play from [November 16], so of course he will be considered for selection. I can't make any commitment to whether he will be back, but we will certainly discuss his selection," ESPNcricinfo had quoted Rege as saying.
Rege's panel has announced the squad only for Mumbai's first three matches because key players like Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, and Shivam Dube are currently part of the India squad for the T20 series against Bangladesh. Mumbai will have played six of their seven group games before Shaw becomes eligible.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended Shaw in July this year.
"Prithvi Shaw, registered with Mumbai Cricket Association, has been suspended for a doping violation. Shaw had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups," BCCI had said in a statement.
The cricket governing body stated that it had recovered Terbutaline from the urine sample, provided by the cricketer during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match on February 22, 2019, in Indore.
"On July 16, Shaw was charged with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) Article 2.1 and provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge. Shaw responded to the charge by admitting the ADRV but asserting that it was inadvertent, being caused by his ingestion of the over the counter cough syrup he had taken for his cough," it had added.
BCCI, in their statement, had stated that they were satisfied with the explanation given by Shaw that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat a Respiratory Tract Infection and not as a performance-enhancing drug.
( With inputs from ANI )