Once, India’s top batter, Prithvi Shaw faced a disappointing setback during the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. Despite decreasing his base price to Rs 75 crore, no franchise showed interest in the opening batter. Despite his past performances, Shaw remained unsold due to his struggles with form and fitness. It is a challenging phase in his career.
This development is a major blow to Shaw’s efforts to revive his cricketing journey, especially after being released by Delhi Capitals prior to the auction. With questions now surrounding his future in both the IPL and international cricket, concerns grow regarding his next steps.
Coach Jwala Singh’s on Shaw’s downfall
In a recent podcast, Shaw’s former coach, Jwala Singh, spoke about his ex-student’s challenges. When asked about Shaw’s disappearance from the cricketing scene despite his talent, Singh said, “Prithvi came to me in 2015 and was with me for three years. And when he came he had not played Mumbai Under-16 matches and his father asked me to guide him. Then in next year, he played the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy and scored big in selection matches. And I worked very hard on him. Basically he was talented from the beginning, I will not take full credit because many coaches have worked for him, but at that time it was only me. I was excited when he played the Under-19 World Cup because he was my first student to do so. Before leaving for the Under-19 World Cup, he had celebrated his birthday with me. But after that I have not seen him, that was 2017, we are in 2024, I have not seen him, he has not come to me.”
Comparison between Jaiswal growing and Shaw dipping
The conversation shifted to a comparison between Prithvi Shaw and another talented cricketer, who just scored a century in his first game against Australia, Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jwala Singh, who also coached Jaiswal, highlighted the importance of work ethic and consistency. “Talent is just a seed… One can make great start which he did but to stay at the top in international cricket, one has to improve his game all the time. Even Sachin Tendulkar refined his game consistently, fine-tuned his game, worked on his fitness and mental toughness. So I feel a player goes off track only if he gets away from the process. You will not fall back if your process and work ethic is fine, so I feel players fail because of that. As far as Yashasvi is concerned, is work ethic is superb, he really works hard and he knows what to do. That is the main difference.” he concluded.
Shaw’s recent struggles and disciplinary issues
Following underwhelming performances in the initial rounds of the 2024 Ranji Trophy, Shaw was dropped from Mumbai’s squad. Reports suggest this decision was influenced not only by his poor form but also by disciplinary concerns, including missed training sessions and an improper diet.
A journey of highs and lows
Prithvi Shaw’s cricketing journey has been a rollercoaster. In 2018, he was recognised by the ICC as one of the top five breakout stars in men’s cricket. However, his career faced a major hurdle in 2019 with a doping ban, sidelining him until November that year. Later, he became the part of the Indian team, but soon dropped after some disappointing performances.
