Amid claims that Prithvi Shaw made ₹30 to 40 crore by the age of 23, the youngster’s first coach, Santosh Pingutkar, is sad to see how things have transpired for the player once called India’s ‘next Sachin Tendulkar’. Shaw, 25, has been out of the national reckoning for almost three years, but he endured a new low last week, going unsold at the IPL mega auction in Jeddah. Released by Delhi Capitals during the IPL retentions announced in October, Shaw did not find a single taker during the two-day event. His former coaches, Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid, were all in attendance during the auction, but no one even flinched when Shaw’s name came up for bidding. The disinterest levels in Shaw were such that he wasn’t even shortlisted during the accelerated process.
Shaw’s decline has left him deserted. He was already dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad, and to make matters worse, his outings of 33, 0, 23 and 40 in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy hasn’t exactly set the tournament ablaze either. In such a scenario, Pingutkar, who helped Shaw during his formative years, can only hope that things get better for his protégé.
“He is just 25 years old. He still has age in his hand. He can bounce back with hard work if he wants to sustain in competitive cricket,” he told ETV Bharat. “He is just 25 years old. He still has age in his hand. He can bounce back with hard work if he wants to sustain in competitive cricket.”
Shaw’s fortunes have swung the entire arc in the last six years. From leading India to the Under-19 World Cup and scoring a century on his Test debut to getting banned, embroiled in controversies, and eventually, his ouster from the Indian team, to say that Shaw has had a roller-coaster ride would be an understatement. However, as Pingutkar pointed out, the bigger picture is Shaw’s involvement in ‘groups outside cricket’.
“Other activities, everything but his game witnessed a rise. He was more involved in his groups outside cricket. But, no doubt he loves cricket. However, he wasn’t able to convert his love for the game into his efforts. That’s why he is witnessing such a lean phase. He should bounce back as soon as possible. Everyone’s blessings are with him,” added Pingutkar.
Prithvi Shaw’s last few innings
In between, Shaw fired in bits and pieces. In January of last year, Shaw blasted a mammoth 379 against Assam in a Ranji Trophy match, which Mumbai won by an innings and 128 runs. A few months later, Shaw set the One-Day Cup tournament on fire when he smashed 244 against Somerset during his Northampton debut and followed it up with another century in the next game against Durham. Unfortunately, though, Shaw’s time with the club was cut short after he injured his knee while fielding.
Shaw last played for India in July 2021, during an ODI series against Sri Lanka. He was added to India’s Test squad against England the month before and then against New Zealand in early 2023, but that was the closest Shaw came to ever playing for India again.
