"He was more involved in his groups outside cricket"- Prithvi Shaw's childhood coach opens up on the opener's downfall 

India opener Prithvi Shaw's childhood coach Santosh Pingulkar recently commented on the batter's lean phase with the bat. He suggested that the 25-year-old's groups outside cricket may have played a big role in his downfall.

Pingulkar opined that while Shaw is passionate about the game, he has failed to convert that love into effort. Hoping to see the youngster turn things around shortly, here's what he told ETV Bharat:

"Other activities apart from cricket witnessed a rise. He was more involved in his group outside cricket. But, no doubt he loves cricket. However, he wasn’t able to convert his love for the game into his efforts. That’s why he is witnessing such a lean phase. He should bounce back as soon as possible. Everyone’s blessings are with him,"

Shaw has been going through a tough phase. The swashbuckling batter even lost his place in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy 2024 team due to weight-related issues.

While the right-hander got a chance to prove his worth in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, he has scored just 96 runs across four innings at an average of 24.

Pingulkar opined that with age still by his side, Shaw can bounce back if he is ready to put in the hard work. He added:

"He is just 25 years old. He still has age in his hand. He can bounce back with hard work if he wants to sustain in competitive cricket."

Prithvi Shaw announced himself on the big stage in some style, playing a 134-run knock against the West Indies on his Test debut in Rajkot in 2018. Despite the impressive start to his international career, he failed to cement his place in the national team, with the likes of Shubman Gill and Yashsvi Jaiswal overtaking him in the pecking order.

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"It hasn’t been so much worse that he will remain unsold" - Santosh Pingulkar on Prithvi Shaw's form

Once touted as India's next batting sensation, Prithvi Shaw's career trajectory has left many fans disappointed. The right-handed batter failed to attract a single bid at the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, despite a base price of ₹75 lakh.

Santosh Pingulkar reckoned that while Shaw has struggled for form lately, he didn't deserve to remain unsold at the IPL 2025 auction. He remarked in the aforementioned interview:

"No doubt, his performance hasn’t been up to the mark in the last 4-5 years. He has also struggled with his form in the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy, but it hasn’t been so much worse that he will remain unsold. But he should now work hard and return to the Mumbai side."

Prithvi Shaw was not a regular feature in the Delhi Capitals (DC) playing XI in IPL 2024. He played just eight matches and finished with 198 runs at an average of 24.75.