‘He needs that early momentum’ - Prithvi Shaw’s childhood coach explains DC opener’s batting woes in IPL 2023

Prithvi Shaw’s childhood coach Prashant Shetty shed light on the Delhi Capitals (DC) batter’s dismal run in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Notably, Shaw has been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism regarding his sluggish batting performance for the franchise.

Not only has the batter seen a dip in his form, but also lost his spot in the previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 23-year-old has featured in six matches and returned a string of low scores with 12, 7, 0, 15, 0, 13 to his name. On that note, Shaw’s childhood coach, Prashant Shetty, stated that the first couple of matches are ‘very important’ to keep the momentum.

“Expectations, definitely, both his and mine, weren’t met in the first few games. But this is how his game plan and mindset have been over the years. It’s on the riskier side. He takes that risk. For a player like him, the first two matches are very important,” Shetty told in an interview with News18.

"When you score early, you get momentum. Just as a team needs momentum, even Shaw needs that early momentum. It didn’t happen, and the pressure kept increasing. He is batting well, but then it takes one ball to dismiss a batter,” he added.

His spirits are high: Prashant Shetty

Despite his underwhelming run in the league, Shaw has been sweating it out in the nets and will be raring to make a comeback with a big knock. Shetty further stated that the batter is optimistic about his chances despite losing his spot, as occurred in the previous clash.

“His spirits are high. He is batting well in the nets. See, he is young but also experienced enough to know that if you are batting well in the nets, it can click at any moment in the match. It’s a different story if one doesn’t bat well in the nets and doesn’t get the confidence of the management. The management has given him a long run so even they have confidence in him,” said Shetty.

At present, DC have won two games on the trot and will look to carry their winning momentum to climb up the points table. David Warner and Co. will lock horns once again with SRH on Saturday, April 29, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.