IPL 2023: "That's not what we require right now" - Coach Ricky Ponting explains decision to drop Prithvi Shaw

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting admitted that the decision to drop struggling opener Prithvi Shaw has not been an easy one. He backed the move stating that a lot of openers in other teams in IPL 2023 are performing better than Shaw. He has played six innings for DC in the ongoing IPL and has only managed to score 47 runs. looking completely out of rhythm. Delhi have tried him as an Impact Player as well, but that has also not worked for them.

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Eventually, Delhi Capitals decided to drop the right-handed batter for the away game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, April 24. They will face the same opposition at home on Saturday, April 29. Shaw has registered scores of 12, 7, 0, 15, 0, and 13 in IPL 2023 so far. The Aussie legend, Ponting said that when Shaw joined DC ahead of IPL 2023, he felt that the 23-year-old might have a big year, considering the way he was batting in the nets and looking at his fitness levels as well. Ponting commented,

"When he arrived this year, he'd been at the NCA for quite a few weeks working really hard on his fitness he turned up in good physical shape and his work ethic and training and everything in the nets suggested to me that this might be just that big year for him but that hasn't worked out just yet."

At the pre-match conference, Ponting opened up on the Shaw situation and explained,

"I think it's 13 games (including IPL 2022) since Prithvi has made a 50 opening the batting for the Delhi capitals. There are a lot of other players at the top of the order with other teams that are playing a whole lot better than Prithvi.

"Prithvi at his absolute best we know he's a match winner. That's one of the reasons that he's a retained player because we know if he bats a certain amount of balls, we win about 95% of the games. But so far this season, he hasn't been able to produce. I think the six games that he played was just over 40-odd runs, so that's not what we require right now.

"So is it a tough decision to leave him out but hopefully the team that we put on the park tomorrow can go win another game for us."