Will Prithvi Shaw be benched in IPL 2024? Sourav Ganguly's shocking verdict

Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly has pointed out the only flaw that their opening batsman Prithvi Shaw contains in his gameplay. While speaking to the Times of India in an exclusive interview at the Arun Jaitley stadium, Ganguly claimed Shaw needs to think less about his strike rate. The Mumbai-born batter had a terrible last season and the franchise is hopeful that he can stage a memorable comeback this year.

Sourav Ganguly had taken some time out from his busy schedule to have a chat with TOI. There he spoke about a variety of topics – from Ishan Kishan‘s central contract snub to Rishabh Pant’s comeback. Ganguly was also asked to put forward his thoughts regarding Prithvi Shaw and good is he looking for the season ahead.

The former Indian captain along with Australian legend Ricky Ponting will once again try to win the IPL trophy that has eluded Delhi Capitals for 16 long years. And for that, Prithvi Shaw who failed to provide solid starts last season, will once again play an important role.

Ganguly asks Prithvi Shaw to think less about his strike rate

Ganguly, who is currently overseeing proceedings in the Delhi Capitals’ training camp ahead of the 2024 edition, claimed that Prithvi Shaw should stop overthinking about his strike rate. The 51-year-old highlighted Shaw’s performance during his England county stint with Northamptonshire and that he is batting well at the moment.

Shaw is often criticized for being overweight but Ganguly revealed that he is working hard on his fitness and that he is getting fitter. The only thing he needs to balance is his worry about a low strike rate.

“Prithvi is batting really well. He went to play county and scored a lot of runs last season. The only thing about him is that he thinks a lot about strike rate. That needs to be balanced. He is getting fitter too.” – Ganguly told the Times of India. 

Last year, Prithvi Shaw experienced by far his worst-ever IPL season since making his debut in 2018 for the Capitals who were then Daredevils. While he regularly scores over 200 runs at least in each IPL season since then, in 2023, the so-called prodigy scored only 106 runs and was dropped after playing 8 matches, as a result.

Many claimed that his off-the-field activities and controversies have played a major role in his sudden and tragic downfall. Shaw was once regarded as the next big thing in Indian cricket, since his school days but his early and premature success eventually proved to be a vice for him.

Sourav Ganguly wants local players to stand up

Ganguly had a clear message to all of the homegrown DC players and that is to take the onus and lower the team’s dependency on foreign players. The Director of Cricket took a cryptic dig at Prithvi Shaw of course but also sent a clear message to others. “There was over-reliance on overseas players last year. That shouldn’t be the case this year.” – Sourav Ganguly concluded.