IPL 2023: Prithvi Shaw – There seems to be no respite for Prithvi Shaw on and off the field. After molestation allegations by Sapna Gill, the Delhi Capitals batter is no more a sure starter in the playing XI. The right-hand batter has lost the trust of coach Ricky Ponting after failing to score a single fifty in 12 IPL innings. In this season, Shaw has played six matches and has scores of 12, 7, 0, 15,0 & 13. The axe fell on the DC opener in the clash against SRH, with Ponting saying, “There are a lot of other players at the top of the order with other teams that are playing a whole lot better than Prithvi”. Follow IPL 2023 Live Updates with InsideSport.IN.
For the uninitiated, Shaw was one of the four players retained by DC ahead of mega IPL auctions in 2022. The right-hand batter though has failed to live up to the expectations, and worst, his off-field problem has also made the situation all the more complicated. Ponting admitted it was tough to drop Shaw, but he had left with no option, with the youngster’s non-contribution at the top.
“It just came to the point, where yes, it was six games this season, but I think it was six or seven games at the back end of last season as well,” Ponting said on the eve of Capitals’ return fixture against Sunrisers. “I think it’s 13 [12] games since Prithvi has made a fifty opening the batting for the Delhi Capitals, which, if you look throughout the tournament, there are a lot of other players at the top of the order with other teams that are playing a whole lot better than Prithvi.”
IPL 2023: Ponting to back Philip Salt at the top, says need some spark at the top
In Shaw’s absence from the game against SRH, DC promoted Philip Salt to open the innings. The England batter did not trouble the scores, but Ponting is ready to back the wicketkeeper batter as he feels there needs to be some spark at the top. The DC coach also admitted that Shaw is a match-winner and can turn the games singlehandedly, but this season he has failed to show the form, despite giving enough chances.
We needed to find a bit of a spark at the top of the order, and Phil Salt moved there in the last game – that didn’t quite work as well,” Ponting said. “So yeah, Prithvi, absolutely at his absolute best we know he is a match-winner. That’s one of the reasons that he is a retained player here at the Delhi Capitals because we know that if he bats a certain amount of balls, we win about 95% of the games, but so far this season he hasn’t been able to produce.
DC will next take on SRH on April 29. The Warner-led side have snapped their five-match losing streak and have two games on the bounce. DC need to win their remaining eight games to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs.
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