Former Team India coach Anil Kumble believes that Prithvi Shaw’s performance in the 2017 IPL season will be make or break. The Delhi Capitals retained the 24-year-old ahead of the December 19 mini-auction.
Shaw had a terrible IPL season last year, hitting only 106 runs in eight games at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of less than 125. Despite being dropped multiple times during the season, the DC management remains confident in the gifted batter.
Kumble explained to Jio Cinema how the players who came up with Prithvi Shaw got ahead of him.
“This is something that he needs to understand. Players that have played with him have gone ahead . For example Shubman Gill, who is one of India’s best players, and a young player who is looking at a future with the team for a long time. And Shaw has missed out on that. So this is simply a make or break season for him.”
Anil Kumble
Prithvi Shaw is presently rehabilitating from a knee injury sustained while playing for Northamptonshire in English county cricket.
Shaw batted brilliantly for the County team in the One Day Cup, scoring 244 off just 153 balls with 28 fours and 11 sixes. He reached his double century in 129 deliveries, becoming only the third cricketer in tournament history to do so.
Despite just playing four games, Shaw averaged 143 with a strike rate of 152.66 and two centuries.
“Prithvi Shaw has to look at his fitness” – Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble also stated that Prithvi Shaw’s fitness will be more important than his cricketing talents.
Despite being in his mid-20s, the teenager was frequently substituted utilizing the Impact Player rule during DC’s fielding stints in IPL 2023. With fielding being a non-negotiable in contemporary cricket, especially in T20s, Kumble believes Shaw must be totally fit and nimble.
“Prithvi Shaw has to look at his fitness. I think that’s something that is constantly spoken about. It’s not about his cricketing skills. Yes, there might be some chinks in his armour like all batters do. We’ve seen that he’s someone who can take the game away in the T20 format. He’s still young but he needs to work on his fitness. If Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly, David Warner can’t get him to work on his fitness then it’s a challenge.”
Anil Kumble
Prithvi Shaw has been with the Delhi Capitals since 2018, but his output has steadily declined.
Despite starting the batting in 71 IPL games, he averages only 23.86, with 13 half-centuries and no centuries.