Prithvi Shaw is one of the most popular names when it comes to the list of young batters who have the potential to make it big in international cricket. However, the batter from Mumbai whose explosive game is unmatched is yet to live up to the expectations but can this year’s IPL change it all?
Prithvi Shaw, the Mumbai-born cricketer is one of the most talented young players on the list of upcoming batsmen. Everybody who has followed Prithvi Shaw’s career since he was a teenager and watched him play knows how talented he is and the ability that he possesses. He has all the shots that any coach will want his student to learn and can hit them with ease. The young batter who hails from Mumbai was compared to the great Sachin Tendulkar and many believed that he is on his way to becoming the next big thing in Indian cricket.
The right-handed batsman was 18 when he made his Test debut for the Indian cricket team. This speaks volumes about his batting prowess as this country has fierce competition when it comes to cricket especially batting. Now, just take a moment and think how good must this guy be that the likes of the then skipper Virat Kohli back in 2018 along with the selectors and the team management decided to give him his Test cap in the first match against the West Indies on October 4, 2018.
Prithvi Shaw made the most of his opportunity in his very first game as he went on to become the youngest in the history of Indian cricket to score a century. On debut, the 18-year-old batter scored 134 runs off 154 balls laced with 19 boundaries with a strike rate of 87.01. The right-handed batter had announced his arrival on the big stage and it seemed like he was on his way to greatness.
Following his heroics with the bat in the Test series, Shaw was called up for ODIs as well. He did not get to debut immediately but it was clear that the team management was impressed by him and it looked like they had big plans for him. In the ODI series against New Zealand in February 2020, Prithvi Shaw made his debut. The young batter scored 20 from 21 balls in his first ODI following which, he has only played 6 more ODIs for the country.
He also had a disastrous Test series in Australia later in 2020-21 and flaws in his technique were completely exposed following which he was dropped from the Indian team.
Coming to the Indian Premier League, Prithvi Shaw made his debut in 2018 for the Delhi Capitals and for the last 5 seasons, the right-handed batter has only played for the Delhi Capitals. In his first season with the franchise, Shaw played 9 matches and scored 245 runs with an average of 27.22 with a strike rate of 153.12.
The next season which was the 2019 season, Shaw played 16 matches, and scored 353 runs with an average of 22.06 and a strike rate of 133.71. As an opening batter his numbers should have been better. The 2020 edition saw a dip in his form once again as he could muster up only 167 runs from 13 games with a dismal average of 17.53 and he was dropped from the side during the tournament.
The right-hander came back strongly in IPL 2021 and performed much better from the bat as he scored 479 runs from 15 games with an average of 31.93.
This year, Delhi Capitals showed faith in their batter as he got retained before the mega-auction. Shaw’s opening partner Shikhar Dhawan did not enjoy the same benefit as he was released by them. This shows that the captain Rishabh Pant along with coach Rocky Ponting and the team management believe in the batter and it is time he repays their faith.
Prithvi Shaw is the most explosive opener in the IPL when he gets going. He has the temperament and the game which can help him in succeeding. All he needs to do when he comes out to bat is calculate. He needs to be smart with his approach and pick and choose the bowlers that he wants to target and also be very careful about his shot selection. I say this because if Prithvi Shaw bats 20 overs even once in the IPL then that will be an innings that no cricket fan will ever forget.
A lot is at stake for Prithvi Shaw but also a lot to be achieved. This year’s IPL can be his audition for the T20 World Cup which is set to take place in Australia in October this year. If he can go on to make this season his own then it is very highly likely that no one will be able to ignore him.
Prithvi Shaw has competition in Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad for probably a backup opener’s spot in case KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma. Ruturaj Gaikwad is not having the best time in IPL 2022. Which makes things even more interesting for Prithvi Shaw.
If the right-handed batter can go on to win the orange cap this season then he and his team Delhi Capitals will benefit immensely from his performances. He can single-handedly tale his team to the playoffs and become the number contender for a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad which will be heading to Australia to win the title that has eluded them for the last 15 years.
Only time will tell if the classy batter can make IPL 2022 his own but if he does then there is no stopping this guy and he will not be overlooked by the team management or the selectors.
