IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir & Shreyas Iyer Asked Me To Enjoy Myself: Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw came in this year’s Indian Premier League with a big reputation. The teenager scored as many as 5 centuries in 10 first-class matches. Earlier this year, he led India to their fourth ICC Under-19 World Cup. And the 18-year old, on Friday, brilliantly justified the hype surrounding him.

After warming the bench for the first five games, Shaw was given a chance in the game against Kings XI Punjab. He scored 22 in the game with the help of 4 boundaries. In his very second game which was against Kolkata Knight Riders, the Daredevils opener proved his worth in gold. With senior pro Gautam Gambhir dropped, the onus was on Shaw and Colin Munro to provide the team with a solid start. And Shaw did his job brilliantly. The youngster scored 62 off just 44 balls to lay the platform for a big total. The fifty made him the joint youngest player to score a fifty in the IPL. He showed his class with the way he handled senior pacer Mitchell Johnson.

In Johnson’s second over, Shaw hammered the Aussie for a boundary and a six before smashing another six in his third over.

Delhi went on to post a daunting 219 for 4 in the allotted 20 overs. In reply, Knight Riders could only manage 164 for 9. The win ended Daredevils four-match losing streak. It was only their second win in seven games.

Speaking after the match, Shaw said he was told by his coaching staff and senior teammates to enjoy his game.

“Everyone was well focussed and they knew what to do. They knew their roles. (Coach) Ricky Ponting, GG (Gautam Gambhir) and Iyer just asked me to enjoy my game and that’s what I did,” Shaw said.

He further said Ponting motivated the team with his pep talk.

“The way he talks.. he is very positive. He just asked us to execute our game tonight,” he mentioned.

Shaw and newly-appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer set the tone with a brilliant 68-run stand before Shaw was dismissed. Iyer, on the other hand, remained till the end, scoring 93 off 40 balls to guide his team to a huge total.

Speaking about the stand, Shaw said: “It was a good combination – we had a good start and then Iyer came in and batted well. It was a captain’s knock and we had fun in the middle.”