Ricky Ponting, the head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC), expressed his optimism about the performance of opening batter Prithvi Shaw in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. According to the 48-year-old coach, Shaw’s dedication to training and hard work has impressed him, and he believes that the young player is poised for a breakthrough season this year.
Shaw has a respectable track record in the IPL, having scored 1588 runs in 63 matches at a strike rate of 147.25. However, his performance in the previous season was lackluster, as he could only accumulate 283 runs in ten games at an average of 28.30, despite maintaining a strike rate of 152.97. Therefore, he will be looking to enhance his performance in the upcoming IPL 2023.
Ricky Ponting on Prithvi Shaw
Ponting spoke to reporters and said that he sees a lot of promise in Shaw due to the intensity he has seen in the youngster’s eyes. He also expects to see the real potential of Shaw in the upcoming IPL 2023.
“He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before. And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL. He just has that different look in his eye this year – you can see that he’s probably hungrier than ever. Yes he’s had some success for us, but I think with the level of talent and ability that he’s got, I think we’re going to see the real Prithvi Shaw this season,” Ponting said.
In IPL 2023, Shaw is expected to open the innings alongside David Warner. He had an outstanding Ranji Trophy season this year, scoring 595 runs in six games for Mumbai with an average of 59.50. His top score of 379 against Assam was the second-highest individual score in the history of the Ranji Trophy.
Ricky Ponting has stated that he not only focuses on improving players’ skills on the field but also aims to help them improve as individuals, as he believes an athlete’s personal life plays a crucial role in their performance.
“As a player, sometimes you want to play cricket, you want to get out there and represent your team, represent your franchise, and represent your country, but sometimes you don’t see the bigger picture of it. There’s a bigger picture out there than just you playing cricket. It’s how everyone else perceives you in the real world. So that’s my job to make them better players, but at the end of the day, I want to make them better people as well. That’s a big part. The better person you are, I think it’s easier to become a better player. And if you haven’t got your personal life in order off the field, it’s really difficult to be a disciplined performer on the field,” he added.
