Prithvi Shaw.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Since its inception, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been serving as a huge platform for young and promising cricketers from across the country to showcase their mettle and flaunt their skills in front of a global audience. Such was the case with Prithvi Shaw, once touted to be the next star batter from India, who could fill the shoes of greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
However, things took a rather unfortunate turn for Shaw during the IPL 2025 mega auctions held in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia, on November 24 and 25. It was a new low for the 25-year-old out of form batter as he went unsold in the auctions. None of the 10 franchises placed a single bid for Shaw, despite the former Delhi Capitals (DC) player deciding to keep his base price fairly low at Rs 75 lakhs.
Speaking about Shaw being ignored in the IPL auctions, DC co-owner Parth Jindal has remarked that such a 'jolt' was necessary for the young cricketer.
During an interview with India Today, Jindal said, "Prithvi is a great kid. He is misunderstood in many ways. And I think all of us growing up need a jolt and need to be shaken up from our slumber. There are times when I even needed that jolt. All your life you grow up hearing that you are the special one, you're the most talented, you're the only other batter in the world other than Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli to have a MRF bat. That tells you a lot about what everyone thought about him."
Shaw was released by Delhi Capitals prior to the mega auctions after a disappointing performance in this year's IPL. He managed to score a meagre 198 runs in 8 appearances for DC in the 2024 season.
"People calling you Lara, calling you Sachin, someone else calling you the next big thing. You grow up in that environment, and everyone from Mumbai cricket talking big about you. I think this is that one jolt Prithvi needed. Till now, he was on a fat IPL contract, he was playing for Mumbai across all formats, and was someone starting for DC atleast. I think he needs to work hard. He needs to get back to loving the game of cricket," Jindal added, emphasising on the need for Shaw to regain focus in order to bring his career back on track.