Ponting, who was appointed head coach of DC ahead of IPL 2018, revealed that he was always in conversation with Prithvi Shaw throughout last year in order to find out the right approach to guide him. However, he still didn’t sound confident of having cracked the code.
Prithvi Shaw had a poor run with the bat in IPL 2020. In 13 outings, the 21-year-old managed just 228 runs at a slender average of 17.53. It was during this time Ponting took cognisance of Shaw’s “interesting theory” and how he was adamant about not deviating from it.
Prithvi Shaw has come a long way since then, as far as his personal form is concerned. The Mumbai captain created history in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy by amassing the highest-ever tally in the competition – 827 runs at an average of 165.40 from 8 innings with four hundreds and one fifty to boot.
While Ponting acknowledged Prithvi Shaw’s recent success, he is hopeful that the opener has let go of his theory.
Ponting compares Prithvi Shaw to Sachin Tendulkar
Apart from being of the same build, both Prithvi Shaw and Sachin Tendulkar had blistering starts to their careers. While Sachin relied on timing and finesse, Ricky Ponting stated that Shaw relies on power. He further added that a red-hot Pirthvi Shaw will be key to helping DC get their balance right.
The Rishabh Pant-led side will play their first three matches at the Wankhede Stadium, which is Prithvi Shaw’s home ground. Maybe he will feel more at home in IPL 2021.
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