Birthday special: Prithvi Shaw – The talent India needs to carefully nurture

Indian cricket has been blessed with a goldmine of talented, world-class batsmen right from the time of Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, and today, Virat Kohli. Almost a decade back, a young Mumbai batsman was unearthed playing in the local tournaments, taking apart bowlers of his age. He rose in reputation in the local leagues, and at the age of 14 he scored 546 runs – the highest score by an Indian batsman in junior cricket – during a Harris Shield match at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai. It was clear, he was a prodigy and meant for greater things. He is none other than Prithvi Shaw.

? Youngest Indian to score a century on Test debut
? 2018 U19 World Cup-winning captain

Here’s wishing @PrithviShaw a very happy birthday. ??#TeamIndia

Let’s revisit his sensational ? on debut versus West Indies ??

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 9, 2020

Born on 9^th November 1999, Prithvi Shaw is one of the most naturally gifted batsmen to have emerged in recent times. Shaw started off as an ultra-aggressive opener and has continued to be that way, even after making his international debut. He has a phenomenal record in domestic cricket, and at one point even had 4 tons in his first 5 FC games. He has scored 2197 runs in 20 FC games at an average of 57.81 and a mind-boggling SR of 81. After consistently performing in domestic cricket, and being identified as a special talent, selectors couldn’t keep him out for too long, and he got his international cap in 2018. In his debut Test match, he scored a scintillating ton against West Indies, overshadowing everyone else in the team. It was a dream start for Shaw. He was being compared to Virender Sehwag because of his aggressive style of batting and Sachin Tendulkar in terms of consistency. That is the kind of admiration that was coming Prithvi’s way.

The decline

However, the last couple of 18 months or so haven’t been as rosy for Shaw. Shaw scored 245 runs in his maiden IPL season in 2018, and 353 in 2019. The only difference was, in 2019, his technique and temperament started getting exposed slightly. According to experts, there was a serious lack of foot movement in his gameplay and he struggled immensely against the short ball. He was also throwing his wicket too often. That reputation carried onto IPL 2020. While in the first 6 games, he scored 2 50s, in the last 7 games he has scored just 30 runs, with 3 ducks. It seems as though he has been trying too hard. He was even dropped midseason for a couple of games. There has been a steep decline in Shaw’s stocks, which has corresponded with the rise of several other youngsters.,

Shaw comes from humble beginnings. He has a story and past performances like Sachin. But it is important for him to have a mindset and work ethic like the little master as well. And selectors will have to play a very important role in that. They need to groom him well, help him stay humble and not try to change his game too much. He is a precious, natural talent, which needs to be looked after. If done so, Prithvi Shaw could become one of the biggest match-winners India has ever seen.