Delhi Capitals batsman Prithvi Shaw, ahead of the new Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) season, drew an interesting parallel between DC head coach Ricky Ponting and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan.
During a video interview on the Delhi Capitals' YouTube channel, right-hander Shaw revealed that whenever Ponting gives speeches, he gets a 'Chak De! India' feeling.
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"When Ricky sir speaks, the song plays in the background, the Shahrukh Khan song," said Shaw.
'Chak De! India' is a famous movie on hockey, wherein actor Shahrukh Khan plays the role of a hockey coach and guides the Indian women's hockey team to World Cup glory. Over the course of the feeling, he gives numerous motivational speeches, including the well-known "Sattar Minute" (70 minutes) speech in the team's locker room.
Shaw also remarked that not only is "the boss" a reassuring figure on the field but he's also a friend off it.
{{/usCountry}}Shaw also remarked that not only is "the boss" a reassuring figure on the field but he's also a friend off it.
{{/usCountry}}"The boss is back. He is a very nice person. On the field he's like a boss, off the field he's like a friend. I am very happy he is back and let's see how it goes," commented Shaw during the interview.
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A few days earlier, a Ponting interview to ‘cricket.com.au’ made the headlines when he revealed Shaw's habits and mindset while going through a rough patch. Keeping the last season in focus, where Shaw scored 228 runs in 13 matches followed by losing his place in the Test side, former Australia batsman recalled how the latter simply refused to bat in the nets after hitting a rough patch in the previous season of IPL.
While speaking to ‘cricket.com.au’, Ponting said, “He [Prithvi Shaw] had an interesting theory on his batting last year – when he's not scoring runs, he won't bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time,” Ponting said.
“He had four or five games where he made under 10 and I'm telling him, ‘We have to go to the nets and work out (what's wrong)’, and he looked me in the eye and said, ‘No, I’m not batting today’. I couldn’t really work that out," Ponting further stated.
Times, however, have now changed for the 21-year-old batsman from Mumbai. In the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished as the highest-run getter with over 800 runs and four centuries. He also smashed a double century en route to leading the Mumbai side to the title.
Delhi Capitals begin their campaign against Chennai Super Kings on April 10.