The Delhi capitals have been clearly struggling in IPL 2024. The 2 consecutive defeats by Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals had put them in deep trouble. Following the defeat, Prithvi has now become a topic of discussion on social media. Fans are angry about his not being given a chance to play in the team. The SRH coach Tom Moody has even asked why Prithvi Shaw has been left outside of the playing team.
Tom Moody said that Ricky Bhui was brought into the team instead of Prithvi Shaw, something he fails to comprehend. So far Prithvi Shaw has not been given the opportunity to play in these two matches. However, Ricky Bhui has been included in the playing XI by Delhi Capitals but his performance has not been remarkable. Despite some good performances like the 3 runs scored against Punjab Kings and the hard fought opening against Rajasthan Royals, Ricky Bhui could not convert those starts.
Not giving a chance to Prithvi in playing XI is beyond understanding – Tom Moody
Tom Moody has questioned a major doubt after DC’s failure in a pivotal match. During an interview with ESPN Cricinfo he said,
An international batsman like Prithvi Shaw is sitting in the dugout but despite this you are not giving him a chance. Yes, it is true that he has not scored as many runs in the IPL previously as was expected from him, but no one can score runs sitting outside in the dugout.
Sourav Gangluy previously revealed the reason for Prithvi Shaw’s exclusion
Earlier, Saurav Ganguly, the director of cricket, Delhi Capitals answered this ever-burning question whether Prithvi Shaw is the answer to India’s future. At one of the pre-match press conferences before DC face PBKS in IPL-2024 season’s first game, Ganguly explained why Delhi started with Shaw absent on the field. He said –
Prithvi Shaw is an opener and we decided to go with Marsh and Warner. Ricky Bhui is a middle-order batsman so they bat at different positions. Both players have opened for Australia and they have done well together. So actually it’s not Bhui for sure. It’s a different opening combination so, we decided to do that.
Why are fans not happy with Ganguly’s explanation?
Then fans express their disappointment after the DC vs RR match which means they again raise questions on DC’s decision. Let’s analyze the main 3 reasons which lead people to believe that DC’s decision of not featuring Prithvi in the playing XI is against all logic.
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He had a decent Ranji season:
During September last year, Prithvi Shaw was injured. His injury led to him losing 6 months worth of crucial time in cricket to recuperate. After getting back into the competition with his brilliant game in the Ranji Trophy, he scored a marvelous 159 against Chhattisgarh. In addition, he made 87 against Baroda and scored a number of key hits in the knockout game. It would, indeed, be unfair to Shaw considering the form he showcased batting against the swirly red ball when he was dropped from DC playing XI.
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Shaw can bat fearlessly
Although Shaw is not the raging force that can be currently seen in the Premier League, he is certainly one of the finest young talents our country can produce. He is a dangerous striker of the ball at the starting position of the order and he gets boundaries. Talking about the IPL in 2021, he was at his brutal best, smashing his U19 teammate Shivam Mavi for six fours in an over.
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DC can opt for at least 1 Indian opener
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh were fantastic together in the 50-overs World Cup as an opening combination. But, of all the options during the IPL, getting an Indian at the top because Shaw has more familiarity with Indian conditions than Marsh should always be a safer idea for the Capitals.
Prithvi Shaw IPL journey
|
Matches |
71 |
| Runs | 1694 |
| High Score | 99 |
| Average | 23.86 |
| Strike Rate |
145.78 |
Prithvi Shaw played his first match in the IPL in 2018. Prithvi Shaw, a batsman from one of the Bombay schools of cricket, has demonstrated an aptitude to succeed in the decisive matches. In the Under-19 World Cup team of India, Prithvi was named the captain. Prior to IPL 2020 and 2021, he was retained by Delhi Capitals and the franchise continued to stick with him in the upcoming IPL 2022 and retained him in the auction. The career of a man called Prithivi in IPL consists of 71 matches during which he has scored 1,669 runs making his average 23.86 and his strike rate 145.78.
Surely Prithvi Shaw was not at his best in IPL last season but when he recovered, he played great cricket and in this season he could prove to be a good player for DC’s Playing XI. It will be exciting to see that after facing defeat in 2 matches, DC is ready to give a chance to the youth player Prithvi Shaw or not.
