DC Co-owner Believes IPL Auction Snub Was a Wake-Up Call for Prithvi Shaw, Says Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar Comparisons Didn't Help

New Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, the talented Mumbai batsman, was once hailed as a prodigy in Indian cricket, showcasing great promise early in his career. He led India to a triumphant victory in the U-19 World Cup and was hailed as the next big superstar in Indian cricket. Shaw's international debut in 2018 was marked by a stunning century in his Rajkot Test against the West Indies, drawing comparisons to cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Virender Sehwag by none other than Ravi Shastri. Despite this early success, Shaw's career has faced numerous challenges in the following years, with off-field controversies contributing to his downfall. The nadir of his struggles was reached last Monday when he was surprisingly left out by all 10 IPL franchises in the mega auction held in Jeddah. Shaw now faces an uphill battle to revive his career and reclaim his status as a top player in Indian cricket.

In 2018, Shaw was acquired by Delhi Capitals, who retained him ahead of the 2022 mega auction for INR 7.5 crore. However, after a series of underwhelming performances, Shaw was dropped from the playing XI and was released by the franchise last month.

On Monday, Shaw was listed at the mega auction in Jeddah with a base price of INR 75 lakh, but failed to attract any bids. He was also not called up during the accelerated round of the auction.

Somebody called him Lara, somebody called him Sachin

Speaking to India Today, Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal was blunt, stating that Shaw needed this “jolt.” He added that the India batter had grown up hearing experts and veteran cricketers compare him to legends like Sachin Tendulkar. Despite early success, Jindal felt Shaw had failed to meet those high expectations.

“Prithvi is a great kid, but is misunderstood in many ways. I think, every once in a while, we all need a jolt, and need to be shaken up from our slump. But when you grow up constantly hearing that you’re the special opener, the most talented, and the only other batsman in the world besides Sachin and Kohli to own an MRF bat, that says a lot. Someone called him Lara, someone called him Sachin, or the next big thing… he grew up in that environment. Everyone from Mumbai cricket was talking about him. Mumbai has given us Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, and now they were talking about him. So, this is the jolt Prithvi needed. Until now, he had a lucrative IPL contract, playing across formats for Mumbai and starting for Delhi,” he said.

The Managing Director of JSW Cements encouraged Shaw to focus on his fitness and discipline, expressing hope that he would recover from this setback.

“He needs to work hard and get back to loving the game again, and work on his fitness and discipline. I hope he comes back and becomes the Prithvi Shaw he had known,” he added.