New Delhi, India
Prithvi Shaw was the captain of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2018; he is among the 17 Indian batters to date to score a Test hundred on debut; even experts, fans, and ICC’s YouTube channel called him the next Sachin Tendulkar only for him to get distracted and find no buyers in the just concluded mega auction in Jeddah. Delhi Capitals ex-coach Pravin Amre reflected on his downfall.
None of the ten IPL teams bid for Shaw, leaving him nowhere in India’s top-flight cricket.
Considering Shaw is not on BCCI's central contract list due to several reasons related to fitness and off-field chaos that made headlines earlier, and having not played one whole season of IPL since 2021, his cricket career has come down crashing.
ALSO READ: BGT 2024/25 - Damien Fleming hails India quick Jasprit Bumrah as ‘terminator’
Amre, who worked with Shaw at Delhi Capitals during the batter’s last run in the IPL, commented on his current status, saying Shaw could have earned $3.5 million (INR 30-40 crore) by the age of 23. Amre added because Shaw failed to handle the glamour and money that IPL brought along, he has himself to blame.
While Shaw’s contemporaries, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, are top players for India and their respective IPL teams, earning in crores, Shaw remained unsold despite his lower base price this time (INR 75 lakh).
"It's so disappointing to see that a talent like him is going in reverse direction... Even today, he can hit a 30-ball fifty in the IPL. Maybe he couldn't handle the glamour and money, the side-effects of the IPL. His example can be a case study in Indian cricket... Talent alone can't take you to the top. The three Ds - discipline, determination and dedication - are important," Amre said of Shaw during a chat with Times of India (TOI).
Don't be another Kambli - Amre to Shaw
Amre continued how he (three years ago) gave Shaw Vinod Kambli’s example, hoping for him to learn from his experience and try and work harder to avoid suffering the same fate; however, as destiny had it, Shaw seemed to be on the same track.
"Three years back, I gave him Vinod Kambli's example. I've seen Kambli's downfall from close quarters. It's not easy to teach certain things to this generation. Thanks to being retained by DC, Prithvi must have earned Rs 30-40 crore by the time he was 23. Will even an IIM graduate get that type of money? When you earn so much at such a young age, you tend to lose focus," Amre continued.
Meanwhile, Amre wants Shaw to take this snub as a positive, as he has age on his side and the talent to bring him back on track.
"I hope he takes this IPL auction snub positively. It's an eye-opener for him. He's still got age on his side. He's just 25," Amre noted.
(With inputs from agencies)