Poor Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 followed by a disappointing tour of Australia had seen Prithvi Shaw fall out of favor with the Indian national team across formats. The young opening batsman, however, arrived in the IPL 2021 with plenty of work under his belt and he has since not looked back.
The Delhi Capitals (DC) opening batsman has emerged as one of the finest performers this season. After blowing away the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with his whirlwind 82, Shaw recalled the conversation he had with his dad as he returned from the unsuccessful tour Down Under.
“After getting back from Australia, I wasn’t happy with myself. My dad just asked me to play my natural game. All these words set a target on me and I worked hard. In cricket the graphs are going to go up and down, a lot of failures are going to come my way,” Shaw said in the post-match presentation ceremony after the match on Thursday.
Shaw did the bulk of the score for Delhi as the team chased down the target of 155 runs with relative ease. While personal milestones are important, Shaw suggested that he only has one target in his mind which is to win the game for his team as soon as he steps onto the field.
“When I’m in there, I keep playing and don’t think about the score. Don’t think about myself, just want the team to win,” Shaw explained.
Shaw smacked Shivam Mavi for six boundaries in the very first over of the innings, setting the tempo of the run-chase beautifully. When asked if he had prepared himself for such an attacking start, Shaw said that having played with Mavi for years, he knew what sort of deliveries he would be targeted with.
“Wasn’t thinking anything to be honest (are you prepared to hit boundaries from the start?). Was just waiting for the loose balls. We’ve played for four-five years now (with Mavi), so I knew where he will bowl to me. I was prepared for the short ball. The first four-five balls he bowled were half-volleys so I was prepared for the short ball but unfortunately, he didn’t bowl,” Shaw said.
