Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw had a memorable outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Before the tournament came to an abrupt halt, the DC opener had scored 308 runs from 8 innings, at a staggering strike rate of 166.49. He had slammed 37 boundaries and 12 maximums and was placed 4th on the Orange Cap list.
Prithvi’s comeback, after what he went through last season and then in Australia, was a delight to watch for the DC members, especially the coaches who worked hard to churn out the best out of the dynamic batsman. Assistant coach Pravin Amre, who has been the guiding light behind several Indian big-ticket players, explained how the DC coaches got Prithvi on the right track.
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In an interview with Cricket Next, Amre stated how difficult it was to ‘show Prithvi the mirror’ after he was dropped from the Indian team.
“With Prithvi, you know the talent is there. What he was lacking was hunger. It was crucial to get him on the right track. As coaches, our roles involve being a little hard on the players sometimes. For example, showing Prithvi the mirror after he was dropped from the Indian team earlier this year and asking where he stood. He had a poor IPL last time. How he could bounce back was the first question I asked,” Amre was quoted as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“With Prithvi, you know the talent is there. What he was lacking was hunger. It was crucial to get him on the right track. As coaches, our roles involve being a little hard on the players sometimes. For example, showing Prithvi the mirror after he was dropped from the Indian team earlier this year and asking where he stood. He had a poor IPL last time. How he could bounce back was the first question I asked,” Amre was quoted as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“One advantage he has is talent and age. But they are not the only criteria to be successful. To succeed, you need to work hard. We were all sure he would be successful simply because he had the ability,” he added.
Amre further recalled Prithvi’s six fours in an over against Kolkata Knight Riders which laid the foundation of DC’s comprehensive win. The DC assistant coach said slamming four boundaries in a row isn’t easy and requires ‘special talent’.
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“A couple of innings he played this IPL were truly amazing. It requires special talent to hit six fours in one over. It is not easy. His talent is natural. We gave him the right direction, how he should be focussing, how he should be delivering that. Simply put, it is about justifying the talent God has given him,” said Amre.
In the IPL match no. 25 - DC vs KKR, Prithvi Shaw smashed six boundaries in an over from KKR fast bowler Shivam Mavi. The DC opener scored 82 runs off 41 balls as the KKR lost the game by 7 wickets.