IPL 2021: He has come back as a champion: DC's Shikhar Dhawan praises Prithvi Shaw's show against CSK

The Delhi Capitals defeated Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets in their first match of the IPL 2021 on Saturday, with Prithvi Shaw scoring a quick-fire 72.

Delhi Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan praised his fellow opening partner Prithvi Shaw after his impressive comeback to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shaw smashed 72 off 38, an innings laced with nine 4s and three 6s, in DC's opening IPL 2021 encounter against Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan. (PTI)

Dhawan, while speaking to DC, expressed that his opening partner has made a comeback like a champion, saying: "It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly and timing the ball so nicely. He went through a bad patch earlier and has come back as a champion. He did so well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored so many centuries and a double century as well. And now, he has brought the same form in IPL. I am so happy to see him perform that well."

Shaw has hit a good patch after suffering from a bad one for a couple of months. It started with rather poor IPL 2020 in the UAE, where the youngster score 228 runs in 13 matches. He was then dropped from the Test side after making scores of 4&0 in the first Australia Test in Adelaide.

Come 2021, Prithvi found his mojo again. Even though he didn't feature in England's tour of India, he impressed everyone in the domestic circuit. The Mumbai captain not only led his team title Vijay Hazare title but also became the first batsman to score more than 800 runs in a single edition of the tournament. He smashed four centuries, including a double hundred.

DC won their first game against CSK quite comprehensively by 7 wickets. Dhawan showed great form as well as he scored 85 and stitched a stunning 138-run partnership with Shaw for the first wicket. Delhi eventually chased down the target of 189 with 8 balls to spare.

The 35-year-old added that a comprehensive victory in their first match of the season is a huge confidence booster for the team. "Starting a season on such a high note increases the team's confidence tremendously. There's a positive vibe in the dressing room now. We prepared well for the match and everything fell into place nicely. I am very happy with the team's and my own performance. Looking forward to the next game," explained Dhawan.

Rishabh Pant's captaincy debut got off to a good start with the win. He finds himself in this position after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to shoulder injury he sustained in the first ODI against England.

When asked about Rishabh Pant's captaincy in his first match as DC Skipper, Dhawan said: "We are missing Shreyas Iyer, and I am glad that his surgery went well. But I am very happy for Rishabh Pant. He is a young Captain and it's a great thing that he has got a win in his first match as Captain. He was very calm and composed while leading the side. He made good changes as well and I am sure that with experience, he's only going to get more refined."