New Delhi: Delhi Capitals’ head coach Ricky Ponting opened up about dropping Prithvi Shaw from playing XI. Shaw played the first six games and was not included even as an impact player against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ponting stated that they looked for some spark in the top order, which Shaw was unable to deliver.
On dropping Shaw, Ponting said that it came to a point where it was not just the six games this season but a few games even in the last season where Shaw was unable to perform. He added that Prithvi has not scored a fifty in the last 13 (actually the number is 12) games while openers are playing well for other franchises.
On including Phil Salt, he said that the team required a spark in the top order. He admitted that it was a tough decision to leave Shaw out of the playing XI and added that Prithvi at his ‘absolute best’ is a match-winner.
About having a conversation with him after he was dropped, the coach said that it was not difficult as that is his job. He said that his job is to have honest, open and adult conversations with all the players, and he talks the same way with Prithvi like any other player. He admitted that he came out publicly before the tournament and named Prithvi Shaw to be a standout player in IPL 2023. He said that as he returned from NCA, his fitness and work ethic suggested that 2023 will be a big year for him.
Shaw scored 47 runs in the six games, including two ducks. Phil Salt, who replaced him, also got out on a golden duck against SRH.
In the game, DC could manage 144/9 after Washington Sundar picked three wickets and Bhuvneshwar Kumar got two. In reply, SRH could not chase the total as DC delivered an all-round superb bowling effort to restrict them to 137.
DC and SRH will face each other again on April 29 and the game will begin at 7:30 pm.
