Prithvi Shaw has revealed how important the break he got from competitive cricket was in rebuilding his mental strength ahead of IPL 2026. Having gone unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, the right-handed batter returns to Delhi Capitals and eyes a great comeback.
Indeed, Shaw’s last few years in the IPL have been rocky. In the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined, he scored only 304 runs from the bat in 16 innings, which saw Midway IPL 2024 him dropped. His troubles were not confined to international cricket as he was released from the Mumbai squad in the 2024-25 domestic season. Though the 26-year-old did not play during that time, he thinks taking a break from the game helped him reset mentally and physically.
When asked about his time away, Shaw said he used the break to clear his mind and recharge. He endured some time traveling, then went back to a determined training regimen. In his own view, he stepped up the practice sessions and tripled the efforts in batting and fitness than even earlier phases of his career. Shaw presented the break not as a setback but as a laid-the-foundation and reinvigorated return.
The young opener also responded to the criticism he had received over the past couple of years. He admitted he made mistakes, but said that public perception often tells only part of the story. Shaw said that, to keep his head in the game, he slowly grew more distant from noisy social media and negative talk. Most importantly, he relied on the support of his family and close friends — those who know his journey better than most.
But during this trying phase, Shaw’s ex-Mumbai teammate Shreyas Iyer had taken to social media and talked about the need for him to work on his work ethics. Shaw handled such feedback with a philosophical eye and embraced it as motivation to grow. In domestic cricket, he eventually shifted to Maharashtra which was a new beginning of his professional career.
Being back in the Delhi Capitals setup, Shaw will face tough competition for a spot in the playing XI. He will compete with Pathum Nissanka and Abishek Porel for an opening position alongside KL Rahul. DC will have quite a few options but they would want to keep a close eye on his form at the beginning of the tournament.
Delhi Capitals — last seen in IPL playoffs back in 2021 — will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on April 1 at Lucknow. As Shaw readies for a new chapter, he seems more measured and resolute — and primed to let his bat do the talking.
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