When he gets going, Prithvi Shaw is undoubtedly one of the most flamboyant batters, making him one of the most thrilling openers in the IPL. Shaw has played in five IPL seasons for the Delhi Capitals franchise, with 2021 being his best, having scored 479 runs with an average of 31.93 and an impressive strike rate of 159.14.
However, his overall average in the IPL is only 25.21, with a respectable strike rate still near 150. Surprisingly, the Delhi team still supported Shaw despite his overall poor returns and retained him in the 2022 IPL auctions. Nevertheless, his journey in the last one-and-a-half years has been inconsistent, affecting his national team aspirations due to fitness issues in the limited-overs opening slot.
Despite this setback, the 23-year-old displayed his batting prowess in the 2022-23 domestic circuit, recording consistent scores against teams like India A, West Zone, and Mumbai. Additionally, the Thane-born batter scored big centuries in the prestigious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Ranji Trophy, resulting in his inclusion in the T20I squad of team India in January. However, he remained on the bench throughout the series. Notably, Prithvi Shaw set the second-highest individual score in the history of the Ranji Trophy against Assam, with a colossal knock of 379 runs off 383 balls.
Will recent controversy affect Shaw’s performance?
Just as Prithvi Shaw appeared to be making strides in his cricketing career, he found himself in the middle of a controversy involving selfies and a friend’s car. The issue is currently being investigated by the police.
Despite this setback, Delhi Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting remains impressed with the Mumbai batsman. He has observed Shaw’s commitment to improving his game and fitness, describing him as hungry for runs. Ponting also emphasized the importance of a diligent approach to training, regardless of any off-field distractions, and expressed his satisfaction with Shaw’s overall batting performance.
“It’s well documented that I had some issues early on, but it’s all about just being true to yourself and wanting to be the best that you can be,” Ponting said. “The one thing that I always say to our players is I don’t like laziness and I don’t like guys not utilising the talent that they’ve got. That’s one thing I always say,” said Ponting as per ESPN Cricinfo.
something really clicked in Prithvi says Ponting
It is worth noting that the Delhi Capitals’ head coach, Ricky Ponting, who was once a world champion with the Australian cricket team, took over the coaching role in 2021. Since then, Ponting has been closely working with Prithvi Shaw on his batting. In his opinion, there is no other opener as talented as the young Delhi batter.
“And so that’s then my job as a coach. If I can see that guys aren’t working as hard as they should, they’re not getting the most out of them, then it’s up to me to try and change that. So, you know, it just seems to me that this season, though, something has really clicked in Prithvi. He seems to be in a better space than ever before,” he furhter added.
“He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before. And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL,” Ponting to reporters on Friday.
