Former Delhi Capitals coach Pravin Amre talked about Prithvi Shaw’s downfall and explained how the youngster lost track and focus due to money and glamour.
The fact that Prithvi Shaw didn’t find a single taker at the IPL 2025 mega auction continues to draw reactions. After Mohammad Kaif, a former selector, and Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal had their say on Shaw going unsold in Jeddah, Pravin Amre, who worked closely with the 25-year-old during their time together at DC, has opened up on the youngster’s curious case. Amre hinted that Shaw perhaps couldn’t handle the fame and exposure to the glamorous lifestyle of being a cricketer.
Shaw recently bought a penthouse in Bandra, one of Mumbai’s poshest localities. While he is just 25, Shaw witnessed a terrific rise initially, being touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, winning the Under-19 World Cup for India in 2018 and landing a lucrative contract with the Capitals around the same time. But as he climbed the ladder of success, Amre feels Shaw got a bit carried away, which caused indiscipline to creep up in his game. Shaw was given former India cricketer Vinod Kambli’s example – of what not to do – but Amre believes that didn’t help him either.
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“Three years back, I gave him Vinod Kambli’s example. I’ve seen Kambli’s downfall from close quarters. It’s not easy to teach certain things to this generation. Thanks to being retained by DC, Prithvi must have earned ₹30-40 crore by the time he was 23. Will even an IIM graduate get that type of money? When you earn so much at such a young age, you tend to lose focus. It’s important that you know how to manage money, have good friends and prioritise cricket,” Amre told Times of India in an interview.
In 2018, Shaw made an impact straightaway when he scored a century on his Test debut for India and earned himself a place in the squad for the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, before he could play even a single game of that series, Shaw suffered a gnarly ankle injury during India’s practice match and was ruled out. From there, it all went downhill. In early 2020, the BCCI suspended Shaw for eight months after he tested positive for terbutaline, a banned substance found in cough syrups. Reports of indiscipline surfaced around the same time, to the extent that the great Sachin Tendulkar had a word with him, too.
But things didn’t improve. Over the years, Shaw has landed himself in multiple controversies, the most infamous being a tiff with an influencer. Shaw was recently dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad on account of being overweight and indiscipline. He is currently playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 33 and 0 in two matches thus far.
“It’s so disappointing to see that a talent like him is going in reverse direction. Someone told me that before he left for Mumbai for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, Prithvi cracked a superb century in a practice match at the Cricket Club of India.
“Even today, he can hit a 30-ball fifty in the IPL. Maybe he couldn’t handle the glamour and money, the side-effects of the IPL. His example can be a case study in Indian cricket. What’s happening to him shouldn’t happen to other cricketers. Talent alone can’t take you to the top. The three Ds – discipline, determination and dedication – are important,” Amre added.
Prithvi Shaw’s indiscipline left Delhi Capitals hurt
While at DC, Shaw worked with some of the game’s greats – Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly – but to no avail. In fact, Ponting, once a huge admirer of his Shaw, recently gave up on him, like many more. IPL 2021 was his most successful season, where he scored 479 runs, but the next three years collectively fetched him just 587 runs from 26 matches. That indiscipline was indeed a factor behind Shaw’s downfall was confirmed by Amre, who witnessed it from close quarters. However, Amre hopes that Shaw learns from this and emerges stronger.
“When DD bought him, he had just captained the India U-19 team to the World Cup title. Delhi was the first IPL team to really back his talent. At that time, ₹1.2 crore was a big amount. Next year, he performed well in the first game itself, smashing 99 off just 55 balls against KKR. From that match onwards, Delhi kept faith in him. However, even after backing him for six years, the DC management was left hurt. It was his indiscipline which hampered Prithvi’s performance. That hunger to come back and do well was missing,” Amre said.
“I was there in the management when we backed him, but I was also in the decision-making group which dropped him due to indiscipline. It wasn’t about punishment, we wanted him to come on the right path. I hope he takes this IPL auction snub positively. It’s an eye-opener for him. He’s still got age on his side. He’s just 25.”
