Prithvi Shaw. (Photo File) NEW DELHI: “I like to be in the present.” That sums up Prithvi Shaw’s outlook after a turbulent phase where he lost an IPL spot and a spot in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad. Back after a mental reset, the Delhi Capitals batsman prefers clarity over noise.“Last year when I wasn’t playing IPL, I enjoyed my life a lot. I went to a few places to refresh my mind a bit and then I came back. The same routine, I trained, worked hard… whatever I did, I started doing it three times. And I think it was a good break for me. I can’t say I took a step back in the match at Capitals Shaw Stadium at Capitals-Stadium,” Arun told reporters at match Capital-Intraitdley. Wednesday.
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RCB’s big changes ahead of IPL: New rules, tribute and squad update Shaw’s time away helped him mentally reset and reconnect with his personal life.“It was just a necessary break to mentally strengthen myself. It was a good break and I enjoyed it a lot. I had a lot of time with my family, so I was happy.”Shaw, who has played 79 games for the Delhi Capitals since joining the franchise in 2018, has not found any takers in 2025. In IPL 2023 and 2024, his performances dipped as he failed to cross 200 runs in both seasons and was later dropped from the side.While he admits that the last few seasons of the IPL have not been ideal, he remains firm in his expectations. “I haven’t done very well in the IPL in the last few years. Not too bad, not too good. But of course people expect a lot, especially when it comes to the opening batter.”For Shaw, the solution lies in going back to basics with an emphasis on quality over quantity.“During training you have to give 100% … So overall it’s about training and hard work. And there should be quality practice … you have to have quality training at some stage.”Marked as a child prodigy from a young age, Shaw responded to outside expectations and admitted to making mistakes.“Sir, I didn’t write it. That I’m this, I’m that. I’m a human being. I’m going to make mistakes. And obviously, whatever’s written out there, they only know half of it. My family knows me. I’ve had as many friends in my life as I have fingers, so they know me inside out. Whenever there were good things or bad things on social media or in the newspapers, I was obviously a very young, DC batter.”“If you see social media every time, I’m coming. If you see it in the paper, I’m coming. So I stopped seeing those things. Those were the things that kept me away from it all. And I believed in myself because I know where I came from and how hard I’ve worked. People make mistakes. You’ve made mistakes in your life.”“I’ve made mistakes too. That’s it. That’s okay. Move forward. That’s history. All that happened. It’s been many years. I had to make some mistakes in my life. And I feel like this is the time when I’m mentally very happy. I love coming down to earth. That’s my passion and no one can take that away from me, no matter what anyone writes about me.”Shaw, who has played five Tests, six ODIs and one T20I, admitted that one of the toughest phases came when he was dropped from the Mumbai team, a decision he disagreed with. He was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy side last year due to poor fitness and lack of discipline. However, his fitness and discipline issues have grabbed the headlines more than his performances in recent months and Shaw also went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction.“I didn’t think the reason that was given to me was valid. So even then I smiled and left. I said, that’s fine,” he recalled.“I didn’t talk to a constituent. I didn’t talk to the president. I didn’t talk to anybody.”“Maharashtra was kind of close to Mumbai and I had friends there, so I went there. And it was very good,” Shaw said.Shaw has done reasonably well for Maharashtra. The right-handed batsman scored 537 runs in seven matches, including a double hundred. He managed 193 runs in six matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and amassed 183 runs in seven matches with a strike rate of 160 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.The numbers aren’t perfect, but he got a chance to play, which was important to him and it changed his approach to life.“I feel like we think a lot about the future… I like being in the present,” he said.Shaw also talked about his support system being limited.“For me, if someone has reached out to me on WhatsApp or called me, even if someone hasn’t, it doesn’t matter if they want the best for me.”“I spoke to my coach Prashant Shetty and my family was there with me at that time. And that’s it. I’m not talking to anyone else.”Shaw admitted he still has the desire to play for India and his ultimate ambition remains unchanged.“If I don’t think about a comeback, it will be wrong because that’s what I’m playing for. It’s clear who wouldn’t want to play for India?”“I used to keep goals, but when you can’t reach them, you feel more pressure. So I’m a present person. I’m glad to be here now, talking to you.”Prithvi is likely to open with KL Rahul for Delhi Capitals. The Axar Patel-led team will begin their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on April 1.
