The Delhi Capitals have had a disappointing season thus far and currently occupy the bottom of the table with just two victories in seven games. Their batting performance has been a major source of worry this year, compounded by the poor form of one of their most dynamic batters, Prithvi Shaw.
Shaw has struggled to score runs, managing just 47 in six games, and was even left out of the starting lineup for DC’s recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Although Phil Salt was unable to make a significant impact as Shaw’s replacement in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has hinted that Shaw may be absent from the team for an extended period of time.
Ponting made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction with Shaw’s batting performances this season, as he openly criticized the young batsman’s poor form.
In a press conference prior to the team’s rematch against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ricky Ponting spoke candidly about Prithvi Shaw’s recent struggles.
According to Ponting, Shaw has not scored a fifty while opening for Delhi Capitals in 13 matches, dating back to IPL 2022. The coach also remarked that several other players from opposing teams have performed significantly better than Shaw this season. Despite Shaw’s undeniable match-winning abilities, Ponting admitted that the young batsman has not been able to perform at his best so far this year.
“I think it’s 13 games (considering IPL 2022 as well) since Prithvi has made a 50 opening the batting for the Delhi Capitals. There are a lot of other players at the top of the order with other teams that are playing a whole lot better than Prithvi,” said the Delhi coach.
Ricky Ponting was straightforward in his assessment of Shaw’s performance this season and expressed that his stats do not make him an essential player in the team’s current XI.
Ponting noted that Shaw had scored just over 40 runs in the six games he played, which did not meet the team’s requirements. Despite the difficult decision to leave him out, Ponting expressed confidence that the team selected for the upcoming match would be able to secure a win.