Former England batter Kevin Pietersen has voiced his disappointment over Prithvi Shaw‘s decline, stating that the young opener still has time to regain his best form. The 44-year-old, now a commentator, advised Shaw to take a break from social media and concentrate on his training.
Pietersen also emphasized the importance of Shaw surrounding himself with the right people to aid in his recovery. His comments came after the Mumbai batter went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction, where he had listed himself with a base price of INR 75 lakh.
Kevin Pietersen posted on X:
“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. Love, KP!” he added.
https://x.com/kp24/status/1863958931091128796?s=46
The reaction follows Shaw’s dismissal for a three-ball duck in the ongoing 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Tuesday, December 3. It marked his second duck in his last five innings.
“Look Up To Someone” – Harbhajan Singh’s Remarks To Prithvi Shaw
Harbhajan Singh, on the other hand, has urged Prithvi Shaw to draw inspiration from role models like former captain Virat Kohli to motivate himself and regain his best form. The legendary off-spinner stated (via India Today):
“He clearly has ignored his fitness. Whereas, look at the fitness of Team India players, and it reflects on the ground. If he needs to look up to someone, make sure it’s Virat Kohli. I wish Shaw all the best so that the next generation can also learn from him.”
“I wish him well. I hope he emerges out of this setback stronger. Work hard on his fitness; he’s a very young guy. Must be around 24-25. He can go a long way if he focusses on his fitness,” he added.
Harbhajan also discussed the negative impact of high expectations and going unsold in the IPL auction. He concluded:
“It’s very tough for any player to digest that he’s gone unsold at the auction. And this a player who people said is as talented as Tendulkar. Our problem is that they started comparing him so early with a player as big as him [Sachin]. You put pressure on the player. But with Prithvi Shaw, there are many more factors than just cricket.”
Prithvi Shaw made his India debut in 2018 but quickly faded from the scene. In the IPL, he has scored 1,892 runs in 79 innings, including 14 half-centuries.
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