Cricketer Prithvi Shaw was back with a bang after he smashed a double century in the English County One-Day match. Once known as the “next Sachin Tendulkar”, he lost his touch during the tour of Australia in 2020-21. Because of his fitness issues and lack of form, he ended up losing his place in the Indian Cricket Team.
However, he showed his mettle by scoring 244 runs in 153 balls for Northamptonshire against Somerset City. According to TOI, he became the third cricketer globally to hit a double century in the tournament’s history. He also broke the previous record of the highest individual score set by Ollie Robinson who, back in 2022, scored 206 runs.
View this post on Instagram
Despite this remarkable achievement, many people online thought it was fitting to comment on his weight and body-shame him instead of celebrating him. These people included popular entrepreneurs Ankur Nagpal and Ankur Warikoo. We need to mention that both these people have an incredible social media following and the ideas that they perpetuate tend to influence innumerable impressionable minds.
Indian diet and genetics are unparalleled
This is a 23 year old Indian athlete
23!
😅😅😅 pic.twitter.com/Wxfo5n524i
— Ankur Nagpal (@ankurnagpal) August 9, 2023
Bet his mom thinks “patla ho gaya hai” :)))
— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) August 9, 2023
These comments further led people to react in an insensitive and disrespectful way.
Nah man Prithvi Shaw can't make a comeback with this fitness 😭 pic.twitter.com/tlMivhPdsh
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) August 9, 2023
— Simon (@seempaq) August 9, 2023
The naan diet
— Jeremy Stamper 🇺🇦 (e/acc) (@jeremymstamper) August 9, 2023
God damn! What happened to Prithvi Shaw 😧 pic.twitter.com/pkFJ4z76mD
— Darshan Gajara (@WeirdoWizard) August 9, 2023
Rocking the young dad energy
— Deb Mukherjee (@debgotwired) August 10, 2023
he is looking like 40-50 yr man tbh
— ႽẘΔS_ЯÍႽ🇮🇳 (@mrchampion036z) August 9, 2023
He doesn’t even want to comeback.
— Saurav (@saurav_viratian) August 9, 2023
In July 2023, just a month ago, Prithvi Shaw in an interview with Wisden opened up about living an isolated life, not having many friends, facing harassment from people on the street and in the online world and being disconnected from the world. These can be signs of poor mental caused because of incessant trolling and controversy-creating situations he has been pushed into.
Several people online came to his support and slammed those body-shaming him. Here’s what some of them said:
Seriously, how out of touch do you have to be to mock a cricketer who outright said just a month ago in an interview that he's got no one to talk to? Are you people really gonna keep bashing him until he openly says he's not in a good place mentally? https://t.co/5don5AtXim
— Shivani Shukla (@iShivani_Shukla) August 10, 2023
Sometimes people don’t realize the human part of being an elite sportsman. He is 23 and bald, I went through my lowest confidence when I started losing hair from 19 to 23. I got on Rogaine and Finpecia to protect it and only in my 30s got comfortable with the look I have today.… https://t.co/zQTG3KVWSE
— Prajit Nanu (@prajitn) August 10, 2023
Read about his childhood, his background, his recent mental health issues. Read about his performances on the field.
He can survive a gruelling 5 day Test match in Indian conditions and perform!
Not sure whether you can match 10% of that with your relatively ‘athletic’ body? https://t.co/ICjXM9ZbgV— Aditya (@slayerdrumer666) August 10, 2023
These fitness influencers are a joke!
The moment you see someone fat.. it's "Indian" genetics/diet
The moment you see someone fit.. it has nothing to do with India! https://t.co/DdGRwhQ79Q— KishoreIyer (@KishoreIyer5) August 11, 2023
This what this 23 year old indian athelete said about him facing depression. Questioning athelete fitness in a game is very normal.But when you change it into making fun of a man then you are unreal piece of shit. It was all well till you all kept this to his game but this isn't. https://t.co/cLnPIEv0sM pic.twitter.com/2MceaI4YZv
— Pikachu (@newwuserrs) August 10, 2023
Prithvi shaw talked about deteriorating mental health few weeks ago, please leave him alone you guys shouldn't body shame like this bcos if people fo Twitter will get personal with you Ankur you won't be able to take it. Just feel blessed that people haven't been nasty to you yet https://t.co/W6uTPO2bpi
— Archer (@poserarcher) August 10, 2023
So an achievement of 244 in 153 is sidelined by body shaming nd blaming food habits as he knows everything about a 23 yr old guy🤦🤦🤦 https://t.co/WN52Xscmd5
— Bhansali (@bhibatsam) August 10, 2023
Prithvi Shaw is not the conventional shape for an international player in 2023. But he's still on a different planet as far as conditioning, fitness and strength goes compared to the average metropolitan colleged educated 23 year old Indian male.https://t.co/xwEwpC4yKf
— cricketingview (@cricketingview) August 10, 2023
He spoke about his mental health problems less than a month ago. He literally he has no one to talk to. How tough it is to be considerate? Just because he’s an athlete it does not grant us rights to talk anything about him. https://t.co/1IETSrHzPv
— Vasanth 💫 (@gully_point) August 11, 2023
This guy literally said in an interview one month back he has no friends and has barely anyone to talk. Par jabtak player saaf saaf "i'm depressed" na bolde kisko matlab nahi. jab boldega uske baad saare yaha expert ban jaayenge https://t.co/VrF2eyqePZ
— Rahul (@Ittzz_Rahul) August 10, 2023
Ankur Warikoo responded to the criticism and posted a lengthy apology note for his behavior. Here’s a look:
I realize my mistake after people’s responses.
This pic is Prithvi Shaw’s who lost his mother at the age of 4.
Which makes my post extremely insensitive and not something I am proud of.In an attempt to invoke my mom’s natural reaction to my fitness levels in my 20s, I made…
— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) August 10, 2023
Body-shaming is harmful irrespective of who engages in it and why. It is important to be sensitive, empathetic and kind to one another.