"I've seen Kambli's downfall from close quarters" - Former DC assistant coach terms IPL snub an eye-opener for Prithvi Shaw
Former Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre reckons that Prithvi Shaw should consider the snub he received from IPL franchises at the mega auction as an eye-opener. Acknowledging that the batter is undoubtedly a hugely talented cricketer, Amre also confirmed that reports of his indiscipline are credible.
Shaw, the youngest Indian to score a century on Test debut, has been in the news for the wrong reasons for a few years. His career hit a new low when he went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. The 25-year-old was released by Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the auction.
In an interview with the Times of India, former India batter and ex-DC coach Amre expressed disappointment over the Mumbai batter losing his way. The 56-year-old hinted that fame and money may have taken Shaw on the path of indiscipline.
"It's so disappointing to see that a talent like him is going in reverse direction... 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... Talent alone can't take you to the top. The three Ds - discipline, determination and dedication - are important," Amre said.
Amre gave the example of former India cricketer Vinod Kambli, who could not handle fame and completely lost his way. Fearing that Shaw is heading in the same direction, the former India batter urged the 25-year-old to pick up the pieces as he still has age on his side.
"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 Rs 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," Amre said.
"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," the former batter added.
Having been released by Delhi Capitals, Shaw registered for the IPL 2025 auction at a reasonably low base price of ₹75 lakh but still failed to find any takers.
Prithvi Shaw's record in the IPL
Having debuted in 2018, Shaw has featured in 79 IPL matches so far. He has scored 1,892 runs at an average of 23.95 and a strike rate of 47.47, with 14, which includes a best of 99.
The aggressive right-handed batter scored only 106 runs in eight matches in the 2023 edition and 198 runs in eight matches in the 2024 edition. His best performance came in 2021 when he scored 479 runs.