Prithvi Shaw stopped by police en route Goa amid COVID; DC opener held for an hour

Sidelined from India's Test team over his dismal show in Australia, Prithvi Shaw faced another hiccup recently as he made his way to Goa after being snubbed from the Test squad set to tour England. Shaw, who was en-route Goa on Friday amid the lockdown-like restrictions imposed in Maharashtra, was stopped by the Police in Amboli district. The Delhi Capitals' opener did not have the mandatory e-pass required to travel across Maharashtra, as per reports. 

Reports state that the Indian opener was stalled for over an hour for failing to apply for an e-pass to travel to Goa. After discussions with local authorities, Shaw had to apply for an e-pass through his mobile phone which was sanctioned immediately, as per reports. The Indian cricketer was then allowed to proceed after he received the clearance. 

Prithvi Shaw snubbed 

The BCCI on Friday announced a 20-man squad of Team India for the ICC World Test Championship final and England Tour. While Axar Patel got the reward for his terrific performance against England in India, players like Kuldeep Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Hardik Pandya, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were overlooked. Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra also raised questions over BCCI not including Prithvi Shaw in the squad. 

In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Aakash Chopra said that if he had been Prithvi Shaw he would be shocked and disappointed. Chopra also outlined that Prithvi Shaw did not get a single chance since the Adelaide Test when he got out for 0 and 2 runs respectively. "If I was Prithvi Shaw, I would be slightly surprised and disappointed. I'd actually be thinking 'you haven't given me so many opportunities. Since the Adelaide Test when I got out for 0 and 2, I have not played a single Test,'" said Aakash Chopra. 

IPL suspended, players fly back home

Halfway through the tournament, the IPL 2021 was indefinitely postponed after the bio-bubble was breached during its Delhi lef of matches. The breach was confirmed as two KKR players - Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier - tested COVID positive, following which several players and support staff also were infected. A BCCI official quoted by ANI has revealed that the Indian Cricket Board is keen to tap the September window to conclude the IPL 2021 before the T20 World cup. The BCCI official hinted that if the COVID-19 situation will be under control in September then the 14th edition of IPL can be completed.