Prithvi Shaw, once hailed as a “generational talent,” has found himself at a perplexing crossroads in his cricketing career. The right-handed batter, who led India to victory in the 2018 U19 World Cup and announced his arrival on the international stage with a memorable century on his Test debut, has seen his career take a dramatic downturn in recent years.
Despite his early promise, Shaw has struggled to maintain consistency, with his performances not living up to the expectations set during his early years. The 24-year-old, once regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in Indian cricket, failed to attract any bids from franchises. His inability to break into the national team since the past three years, and his struggles in domestic cricket have only added to the mystery surrounding his career.
Shaw’s childhood coach, Jwala Singh, spoke in detail about Shaw’s downfall over the past few years, stating that it “saddens” him to watch the India player’s struggles.
“See, it feels disappointing. Prithvi was my first student who played U19 World Cup. The way he started his career, he played Test cricket and scored a century on debut, was man of the series too… the way he started, he was named the next Sachin. Many experts were comparing him. Now, he’s getting dropped in Ranji, getting unsold in IPL. It saddens me to see him struggle like that. I advised him a lot as a coach, but to see him like this, it’s surprising,” said Singh.
“I saw him as a kid, he used to be very disciplined. Now, I see him having fitness issues, people say he has discipline issues. I haven’t seen him physically since 2017; before that, he used to visit almost 2-3 times a week. His devotion at that time, and now I see his pictures, I’m very surprised. He achieved a lot at a young age, and now he’s getting unsold, people question his performances.
“But he is still young. He should work hard, have some self-realisation. At 25, he has done a lot. But he needs to work on himself.”
Influence of money
Jwala seemed to indicate that the influence of money, and the big IPL deals played a key role in Shaw’s fall, too. The coach insisted that Shaw needs to resist the “temptations” and focus on his game to make a strong comeback.
“Anyone can be influenced by money. We are all human beings. But how you keep track after the money comes is what matters. You need to remain focussed on cricket, your work ethics shouldn’t be compromised. You have to develop your game. If you see Prithvi Shaw’s game, he is still similar to how he was in the U19 World Cup. He still struggles with the pull shot. He didn’t upgrade his game. You need to respect a good bowler, but he didn’t adapt.
“Because of IPL, the people who come from humble backgrounds, you get these tempations. You have this phase for 3-4 years, and someone who escapes this phase will succeed. Prithvi hasn’t understood it yet. You have a whole life to enjoy,” said Jwala.
