Ricky Ponting Opens Up About Prithvi Shaw's Struggles At Delhi Capitals

Ricky Ponting, the former head coach of Delhi Capitals, has revealed his disappointment with Prithvi Shaw's performance. Despite numerous efforts, Shaw failed to meet expectations, leading Ponting to eventually give up on him.

Prithvi Shaw had a promising start in both international cricket and the IPL. Debuting for India in 2018 at 18, he scored a century. However, his career did not progress as expected. His last match for India was in July 2021, and by IPL 2024, he lost his spot in the Delhi Capitals team.

Ponting shared his thoughts on Shaw's potential and struggles. "I mean to start with I don't like talking about individual players, but Prithvi shouldn't be an outlier. He should be someone that's in every team; the first pick in most teams with the skill that he's got. He's had a chance to represent India as a youngster, making a hundred on his Test debut," Ponting told Cricbuzz in an interview.

Ponting expressed his frustration over not being able to improve Shaw's game. "And as you say, halfway through this year, we couldn't find a slot for him in our DC team. So that's disappointing for me as a coach not to be able to make certain players better and get the best out of them. But sometimes there's only so much you can give and so many times you can try," he added.

Ponting mentioned having multiple discussions with Shaw but could not help him become a better cricketer. He remains hopeful that Shaw will eventually realise his potential. "When you feel like you're not making players better and they're not doing what you need for the team, then you've got to look for other players that can do it for you. So that then comes back to the player. With him in particular I've had a lot of chats with him, a lot of conversations to try and make him a better cricketer," added Ponting.

"I mean, he's still a young man. And he's still a very talented young player. And hopefully one day the penny really drops for him and he works out what he needs to do to be the best cricketer that he can be."

As IPL 2025 approaches, it remains uncertain if Delhi Capitals will retain Prithvi Shaw. Reports suggest that captain Rishabh Pant and the DC management have already begun planning for the next season.