The rise and fade of Indian cricket’s wonder boy

Last month, Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he was signed by Lucknow SuperGiants for 27 crore rupees (£2.54m) at the mega auction in Saudi Arabia.

But it was the news of Prithvi Shaw – Pant’s Delhi Capitals teammate – going unsold that grabbed more attention.

Among those seated in the auction in positions to make bids were Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting, who had been closely associated with Shaw in his years with Capitals, as also Rahul Dravid, who was coach when India won the under-19 World Cup under Shaw in 2018.

Their disinterest was telling. Shaw found no takers.

Ironically, just nine months earlier, before the start of the 2024 IPL season, it was Pant whose career looked in jeopardy.

A horrific car crash in December 2022 had left him with multiple life-threatening injuries. But showing iron will, great determination and self-discipline, Pant fought his way back from what seemed a dead-end to his career.

Pant faced the challenges of IPL 2024 head-on and excelled, earning a rapid recall to international cricket. He was part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad. Dominating the domestic season, he impressed in the domestic Duleep Trophy, paving the way for a sensational return to Test cricket. Against Bangladesh, he lit up the field with a scorching century.

Shaw, meanwhile, under pressure after a couple of poor IPL seasons, has lurched from one crisis to another.

His indifferent form in IPL 2024 saw him lose his place in the playing XI mid-season. A spate of low scores in the current domestic season saw him lose his place in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team too. And an outright rejection in the IPL mega auction has brought his career to the precipice of a premature end.

It’s been a mighty tumble for the 25-year-old, who not too long ago, was touted as the ‘next big thing’ in Indian cricket.

Shaw hit the headlines in November 2013 as a 14-year-old when he smashed 546 runs for Rizvi Springfield in the Harris Shield, a prestigious school cricket tournament. It was the highest score in the world in minor cricket then.

Sachin Tendulkar, India’s most celebrated cricketer, had retired only a week earlier, and Shaw earned an instant comparison with the maestro.

Tendulkar’s spectacular rise to eminence following his world record 664-runs partnership with Vinod Kambli in a school game way back in 1987, had inspired quite a few batting prodigies, especially from Mumbai. Shaw was one of them.

A short and stocky opening batsman, Shaw did not have the technical virtuosity Tendulkar had even as a teenager. But he had a gift of timing, and took the attack to the bowlers with such panache that selectors were instantly enamoured.

He was fast-tracked into first-class cricket, like Tendulkar, scoring a century on debut in the domestic Ranji and Duleep Trophy, which hardened comparisons between the two.

In late 2018, he got a Test call-up against the West Indies. Shaw hit 134 off just 154 deliveries, studded with rifle-shot drives, cuts and pulls. He was barely 19. Only Tendulkar among Indians had scored his maiden Test century at a younger age.

Touted as a worthy successor to Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Shaw had the world at his feet. But he’s been on a slippery slope since.

Six years after his sensational debut he played in only four more Tests. Add six ODIs and a solitary T20i, it still makes for a dismal aggregate of international appearances for a batsman whose precocity had promised a long, dazzling career.

An unfortunate foot injury, which saw him being sent back from the tour of Australia in 2020 was the start of Shaw’s problems. Later that year, he tested positive for a banned substance and was lucky to get away with a light sentence. Thereafter his batting form started declining steadily, touching excellence agonisingly infrequently to impress selectors.

Meanwhile stories of Shaw getting embroiled in wild parties and brawls started to spread. By the middle of IPL 2024, he was on notice, as it were. After the IPL 2025 mega auction, his career seems engulfed in uncertainty.

Injury, illness, and poor form can derail even the best, but those close to Shaw reveal that misfortune has played only a minor role in his precarious downfall.

Ricky Ponting, who as Delhi Capitals coach worked closely with Shaw, says: “There’s only so much [advice] you can give and only so many times you can try [to sort him out] .”

Former India batsman Praveen Amre, who was assistant coach with Delhi Capitals was more direct. “Prithvi’s inability to handle IPL fame and money has been his undoing. I’ve talked to him several times, giving him the example of Vinod Kambli who frittered away his career for the lack of discipline,’’ Amre told a national daily.

The IPL has revolutionised young players’ lives, offering a platform for talent and livelihood. Yet, the challenges of early success, instant fame,and rapid wealth remain pressing. Rahul Dravid, drawing on his experience as U-19 and India A coach, has emphasised the need for stronger junior-level mentoring to keep players on track. Shaw’s struggles underscore the importance of his insight.

What the future holds for Shaw time will tell.

At 25, he still has age on his side. But Indian cricket is overflowing with talent, and competition for places is intense. The path from here is all uphill.

“Some of the greatest sports stories are comeback stories, If Prithvi Shaw has decent people around him who care about his long term success, they’d sit him down, tell him to get off social media & train his absolute backside off in getting super fit. It’ll get him back into the correct path where past success can return. Too talented to throw it all away,” Former England captain Kevin Pietersen posted on X.

The message to Shaw is clear. Redemption lies in his own hands.

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