Mumbai born batter, Prithvi Shaw was once expected to be the next big thing in Indian cricket. Thanks to his prolific ability with the Bat, the 23-year-old broke into the cricketing scene at a young age and came into the radar specifically after leading the U-19 Indian team to Under 19 World cup glory in 2018 under Rahul Dravid’s coaching.
When he was just 14, Shaw scored 546 runs off 330 balls for his school in a Harris Shield match in 2013 and quickly became a player to watch out for. At 17, he broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the youngest player to score a Century in Duleep trophy debut before winning the U-19 World cup and before Delhi Capitals invested in him.
He was without a doubt a name that was in every Indian cricket fan’s mouth but all of the hype around him has slowed down in the last couple of years. Troubled by issues outside of the pitch and poor form with the Bat, Prithvi Shaw might not have enough time left to live up to the expectations everyone has for him.
With numerous options in hand for BCCI, Shaw may find it difficult to break into the Indian team. His first ever appearance for India came in 2018 during a home Test series against West Indies and on his debut, he scored a brilliant 134. However, its ben more than 2 years since he last played for India.
In order to gain some momentum, Prithvi is all set to feature for Northamptonshire in English county cricket. Before leaving, he sat with an outlet and disclosed some things that were unknown. He spoke about his mental health, getting dropped and how social media affects him mentally. Here are some excerpts.
What Prithvi Shaw said
“When I was dropped [from the Indian team], I didn’t get to know the reason. Someone was saying it could be fitness. But of course I came here [to Bengaluru] and cleared all the tests at the NCA, again scored runs and again came back to the T20 team. But again didn’t get a chance in the West Indies. I’m disappointed but you just have to move forward. I can’t do anything, I can’t fight with anyone.” – Shaw on being dropped from the team India.
“Even if I say, will they stop? They will keep saying. If I am doing good on the field, they will write good things about me. If I am not doing well (with my cricket), they will write: ‘Oh he went there, enjoyed somewhere, this and then’. It’s going to keep happening. It happens to the best of the players. When you are not performing, something negative does come out, even if it’s not reflective of the person. Even if I don’t step out, things will be said. We can’t stop them.” – on the rumours around his personal life.
“I do think. In fact, every day I get up and think something nice will happen. It’s not about the place. Whenever I get up, whenever I am meeting someone, even if I am sad or disappointed, I never make the other person feel that I am going through something. Whatever it be – anger, crying – I do it my room. Once I open the door, I am smiling again.” – Shaw said about County cricket’s impact.
