After a long grind in the domestic circuit, Prithvi Shaw made his way back into the Indian team when he was named in the T20I squad for the series against New Zealand earlier this year. The explosive right-hander warmed the bench for the three fixtures but was finally getting noticed, again, after his impressive run across formats for Mumbai.
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Before the 2023 edition of IPL got underway, Shaw also attended India camp for T20 players and a consistent run at the top of the order for Delhi Capitals would have been enough for him to cement his place in the squad. The season, however, hasn’t got off to an ideal start for the opener as he not only lost his form but also his spot as DC dropped him for the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Shaw’s childhood coach Prashant Shetty feels the 23-year-old, who has managed just 47 runs in six matches, needed the early momentum and the pressure kept increasing after that.
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“Expectations, definitely, both his and mine weren’t met in the first few games. But this is how his game plan and mindset have been over the years. It’s on the riskier side. He takes that risk. For a player like him, the first two matches are very important. When you score early, you get momentum. Just as a team needs momentum, even Shaw needs that early momentum. It didn’t happen and the pressure kept increasing. He is batting well but then it takes one ball to dismiss a batter,” says Shetty in an exclusive conversation with News18 CricketNext.
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Shetty, who is the batting coach of Goa, understands the importance of this season for Shaw and is disappointed that runs dried up when they were needed the most.
“It was also a big season because he just attended India camp which took place for T20 players. If selectors are picking him for that, then he is definitely in their plans. But then it gets disappointing when the runs aren’t there,” says Shetty.
‘Shaw’s spirits are high’
The coach, however, has not given up yet and is optimistic about a turnaround in the second half of the tournament. He did dial his ward after a string of low scores, discussed a few things and was pleased to see the kind of confidence management has in Shaw’s abilities.
“We did talk and discuss a few things which could be done. But jab run nahi ban na hota hai, to hum kuch kuch cheez try karte hai but kayi baar nahi hota hai. And again his reputation is such. He attacks in the powerplay. Even in this season, his strike rate is 147 but the average has dropped. Sometimes you think people expect similar things so a player tends to bat on those expectations.
“His spirits are high. He is batting well in the nets. See, he is young but also experienced enough to know that if you are batting well in the nets, it can click any moment in the match. It’s a different story if one doesn’t bat well in the nets and doesn’t get the confidence of the management. The management has given him a long run so even they have confidence in him,” says Shetty.
Is there any need to change anything? Maybe a more watchful approach in future matches? “No need,” comes the prompt reply from the coach before adding, “This is not the time. If you are batting well in the nets, timing the ball well, it makes sense to continue that. That is your best chance. It’s less likely to work if you try changing things to bat long – say look for singles. Shaw is a boundary hitter, he will be back on his way the moment he gets 3-4 boundaries.”
Trying too hard?
When the ultimate goal is well within reach, a player often tends to get desperate and put in that extra effort to make it big, very big. Shaw hasn’t “expressed” that feeling to his coach but Shetty is mindful of the fact that his ward is getting noticed again and getting the backing of former India greats.
“There is a possibility, not that he has expressed that to me. He was in the India T20 camp, and is getting noticed again, people like Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag have also given statements backing him in the past. Don’t know if that thought is going in his head… he hasn’t expressed that to me,” says Shetty.
When Shaw stormed into record books with his 379-run-knock against Assam in Ranji Trophy, his father, in a chat with coach Shetty, was ruing that had he scored 21 more, it would have been 400. Now that runs aren’t coming off his son’s bat, the conversations have increased but both Shetty and Shaw senior are hopeful of a big knock which could well translate into a consistent season.
“(laughs) Yes, bit more now that runs aren’t coming. So you tend to analyse a bit more. But we both are hopeful that one big knock will translate into a consistent run. So hoping for that to happen,” says Shetty.
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