"You just cannot ignore him now" - Aakash Chopra says Prithvi Shaw will have to be considered for the T20 World Cup

Aakash Chopra has said that the Indian selectors cannot look beyond Prithvi Shaw for the T20 World Cup, considering the smashing form the diminutive opener showed in IPL 2021.

Prithvi Shaw smashed 308 runs at an impressive average of 38.50 and an outstanding strike rate of 166.48 in the eight knocks he played in IPL 2021. He is second only to the Orange Cap holder Shikhar Dhawan in the list of top run-getters for the Delhi Capitals.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that Prithvi Shaw should be in the Indian team's scheme of things for the T20 World Cup after his exploits in IPL 2021.

"If he [Prithvi Shaw] continues batting like this, I feel will have to be considered for the World T20. You just cannot ignore him now because of the kind of form he has shown, the kind of runs he has put, and the fashion in which he has scored those runs," said Chopra.

The cricketer-turned-commentator observed that Prithvi Shaw lived up to the expectations from him at the start of IPL 2021.

"We had spoken earlier that Prithvi Shaw will be one of the finds of the tournament, that his strike rate will be the best. And he is standing there only. The way he has batted, six fours off six deliveries, it is not that easy to hit six boundaries in the first over," added Chopra.

Prithvi Shaw smashed his under-19 World Cup teammate Shivam Mavi for six boundaries in the first over of the Delhi Capitals run-chase against the Kolkata Knight Riders. This was the maiden instance of six fours being hit in the first over of an IPL innings.

Batsmen hitting six fours off six balls in an over in IPL:Rahane vs S Aravind, RR v RCB, 2012Prithvi Shaw vs S Mavi, DC v KKR, 2021#IPL2021 #DCvsKKR

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) April 29, 2021

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"Prithvi Shaw was taking risks but it did not seem like he was doing so" - Aakash Chopra

Prithvi Shaw gave flying starts to the Delhi Capitals more often than not [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra concluded by saying that Prithvi Shaw's breathtaking batting in IPL 2021 was akin to his display on Test debut against the West Indies.

"The way he has batted, the skills and fearless approach he has shown, he was taking risks but it did not seem like he was doing so. He has been absolutely sensational. We saw the old Prithvi Shaw, who had scored a century on his Test debut," said Chopra.

Prithvi Shaw has certainly put forth his case for selection in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. However, with quite a few batsmen vying for the second opener's spot alongside Rohit Sharma, the 21-year-old will have to dish out some outstanding performances in the series against Sri Lanka to remain in the reckoning.

Who will open for India in upcoming t20 world cup Among Rohit, Dhawan and KL Rahul. Even prithvi Shaw is also good contender now.@unacademy #AskTheExpert #LetsCrackIT #RCBvPBKS

— Chaturvedi Ankit (@Ankit1993Ca) April 30, 2021