IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals coach explains Prithvi Shaw's exclusion amid Abhishek Porel's rise

Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre explained the decision to drop Prithvi Shaw from the playing XI in recent IPL 2024 matches, citing the impressive form of Abhishek Porel. Shaw, despite a strong start, saw his performance dip, leading to his replacement by the in-form Porel, who significantly contributed to the team's success in the group stage.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published May 17, 2024, 4:06 PM IST | Last Updated May 17, 2024, 4:06 PM IST

Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre addressed the exclusion of Prithvi Shaw from the playing XI in the past few matches after the franchise concluded their Indian Premier League 2024 group stage. Despite being retained by the Capitals ahead of the season, Shaw didn't feature in the first two games. In his first game of IPL 2024, he struck a quick 43 off 27 balls against Chennai Super Kings and later scored 66 off 40 balls against Mumbai Indians. However, his form began to waver after these initial performances.

In contrast, Abhishek Porel capitalised on his opportunity, scoring 327 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 159.51. Porel shone in DC's final group stage game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against Lucknow Super Giants, leading to a 19-run victory with his 58 off 33 deliveries. His performance in the powerplay was crucial, helping DC amass 73 runs and forming a 92-run partnership with Shai Hope for the second wicket.

"He [Shaw] was our retained player, and as you see, in the last four [of five] games, he was also on the bench. But that's the IPL. If you are not in form, you can't [keep your place]. Ultimately, the pressure for the team is so much that every game is important, and we have to win," Amre said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"And we had done that. Without playing him, we won the games. And whoever got the opportunity... I think Abishek grabbed the opportunities with both hands," he added.

Shaw made a total of eight appearances for DC this season, scoring 198 runs at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of 163.64, with a single fifty to his name. Meanwhile, Porel played across various positions for DC, amassing 159 runs at a strike rate of 165.62 in three matches as an opener.

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