Prithvi Shaw left out of India's U-19 Asia Cup squad to enable him to play in ongoing Ranji Trophy

New Delhi: Looking at the bigger picture, the BCCI junior selection committee on Monday decided to leave 17- year-old rising batsman Prithvi Shaw out of the U-19 Asia Cup in Malaysia next month for an extended run in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

Shaw had captained the India U-19 side during the limited overs series on the England tour in August.

“The selectors were of the opinion that 17-year-old Prithvi Shaw, who recently scored a century (154) in the Duleep Trophy final, should play in the ongoing Ranji Trophy,” said the BCCI in a statement.

A BCCI official, who did not wish to be quoted, said the decision was taken in consultation with India A and U-19 coach Rahul Dravid, who wants the rising Mumbai batsman to focus more on Ranji Trophy.

Shaw, who hit a hundred on first class debut in last year’s Ranji final between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, also struck a match-winning century in the Duleep Trophy final last month.

Himanshu Rana will captain the U-19 squad in Shaw’s absence. The Asia Cup will be held in Malaysia from 9-20 November.

The tournament was supposed to take place in India but Pakistan objected to travelling to the neighbouring country, citing security concerns.

The Squad: Himanshu Rana (Captain), Abhishek Sharma (vice-captain), Atharva Taide, Manjot Kalra, Salman Khan, Anuj Rawat, Harvik Desai, Riyan Parag, Anukul Roy, Shiva Singh, Tanush Kotian, Darshan Nalkande, Vivekanand Tiwary, Aditya Thakare, Mandeep Singh.