Maharashtra pick 17 for Buchi Babu with Gaikwad, Shaw; Bawane captain

Maharashtra named a 17-member squad for the All India Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Chennai, set to run from August 18 to September 9. The selection includes two high-profile players, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw, with Ankit Bawane appointed captain. This marks Shaw’s first assignment for Maharashtra after switching from Mumbai ahead of the new domestic season, while Gaikwad is returning to competitive action following India A duties and a recent elbow injury. Both players are expected to join Maharashtra for the opening match and then link with the West Zone side for the Duleep Trophy semifinal in Bengaluru on September 4.

The squad also features a mix of experienced performers and young talents. In addition to Gaikwad and Shaw, the lineup includes Siddhesh Veer, Sachin Dhas, Arshin Kulkarni, Harshal Kate, Siddharth Mhatre, Saurabh Nawale as wicketkeeper, Mandar Bhandari as a wicketkeeper, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Pradeep Dadhe, Vicky Ostwal, Hitesh Walunj, Prashant Solanki, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar. The pressure will be on Shaw to revive a career that has been linked more with off-field headlines in recent years than consistent run-scoring, while...