IPL 2026: Prithvi Shaw determined for India comeback after poor run

Ahead of the IPL 2026 season with Delhi Capitals, Prithvi Shaw has voiced his strong desire to return to the Indian team. He revealed he is now working three times harder after enduring poor IPL seasons in 2023 and 2024 and going unsold in 2025.

Mumbai batter Prithvi Shaw has expressed his desire to make a comeback to the Indian men's national team as he prepares for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with Delhi Capitals (DC). Prithvi Shaw last featured in an international match back in 2021, when he played a T20I against Sri Lanka. He also endured two poor IPL seasons in 2023 and then 2024 before going unsold in the 2025 season. In IPL 2023, Shaw only scored 106 runs in eight matches at an average of 13.25 in IPL 2023. In IPL 2024, Shaw scored 198 runs at an average of 24.75.

'Putting in three times more effort'

Speaking to reporters ahead of the IPL 2026, Prithvi Shaw said he is fully committed to making a comeback to the Indian team, stressing that he is now putting in far more effort than before. "That is why I am playing. There's no doubt that I have to come back to the Indian team. That's exactly why I'm playing and why I'm working so hard. The amount of effort I used to put in, I put in three times more today. I feel I'm giving not just 100%, but 200% to make that comeback," Shaw said.

On maturity and commitment

The left-handed batter emphasised the importance of full commitment, saying he only practices when he can give 100%, not a half-hearted effort. He added that he has handled challenges positively and learned from his mistakes with maturity. He also noted that he believes in self-realisation as the key to moving forward. "If I'm not feeling good, then I won't be practising. You don't get anything by practising at 50%. If you're on the ground, you give your 100%, or you don't come to the ground at all. Whatever ups and downs happened, I faced them with respect and a smile. As you grow up, you realise your own mistakes. You don't need seniors or mentors to tell you what you already know. It's better if you understand those things yourself beforehand and then move forward," Prihtvi Shaw said.

Delhi Capitals' IPL 2026 opener

Delhi Capitals will kick off their IPL 2026 season on April 1 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)