Akriti Agarwal, the fiancée of Prithvi Shaw, who got engaged to the cricketer earlier this year, has sparked a storm on social media. The 23-year-old took to Instagram to share a story about getting ‘cheated’, triggering widespread speculation. While Agarwal did not mention Shaw by name, she wrote “everything you read about him on social media is true”, strongly suggesting she was referring to the cricketer.
“I got cheated so many times, yet I never said a word. Still can’t believe that after taking one step ahead. Everything is true; every rumour is true. What you see on social media about him,” she wrote.
What’s interesting is that Agarwal wrote “one step ahead”, likely referring to the couple’s engagement. Shaw and Agarwal exchanged rings in March after being spotted together on several occasions, with the cricketer confirming it with a post captioned “From sixes on the field to a lifetime of hits off it. She is my perfect innings,” followed by the hashtag ‘Just Engaged’.
Whether this marks the beginning of another tumultuous phase in Shaw’s life, given that off-field controversies have long followed him, remains to be seen. The line, “everything on social media is true”, has fuelled speculation. More so because, in recent years, several female influencers have claimed on podcasts that cricketers, including Shaw, have reached out to them via Instagram DMs, although none of those claims has been independently verified in connection with Agarwal’s post.
Shaw’s controversial past
Shaw is no stranger to landing in trouble, both on and off the field. He last played for India five years ago, and while a return to the national side appears unlikely, the cricketer has also slipped out of contention in the IPL and domestic cricket. Once touted as the “next Sachin Tendulkar”, Shaw’s India career began on a high with a century on his Test debut before unravelling just as quickly.
In 2023, Shaw was involved in an altercation with social media influencer Sapna Gill, which led to a prolonged legal dispute. In September last year, a Mumbai court imposed a fine on Shaw in a molestation case filed by Gill after he failed to submit his reply, although he was granted another opportunity to do so. In his response, Shaw alleged that Gill was playing the “womanhood card” to settle a personal vendetta against him. In December, he said the case had been filed to malign his reputation.
Shaw has also missed the last two IPL seasons. He has not played any form of competitive cricket in the past five months, with his most recent appearance coming in the Ranji Trophy on January 29.
