IPL 2022: Ponting believes DC batter Prithvi Shaw is as talented as he was
Ponting, who has a keen eye for details when it comes to an understanding of what players have to offer, has spoken highly about Prithvi Shaw who seems to have made a mighty impression on the Australian.
FollowUndoubtedly one of the best batters of all time, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's genius with the bat is known to cricket lovers worldwide. He is the second-highest run-getter in Test cricket history with 13378 runs from 168 matches and the third-highest run-getter in ODIs with 13704 runs from 375 matches. The 47-year-old legend also clinched two World Cup titles for Australia as a captain, which included destroying India's hopes in the 2003 final, where Ponting remained unbeaten on 140 off 121 balls.
Having retired from the sport in 2012, Ponting took to coaching and gave all his learning back to current and aspiring cricketers. First, it was the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians, where he was part of the team that bagged the 2015 title. And now, since 2018, Ponting has been the head coach of the Delhi Capitals.
During his MI days, the legendary Australian batter has worked with Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, etc. It has also helped players like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, etc., improve their game by leaps and bounds.
Ponting, who has a keen eye for details when it comes to an understanding of what players have to offer, has spoken highly about one particular Indian batter who seems to have made a mighty impression on the Australian.
Prithvi Shaw, who has been part of the Delhi Capitals since 2018, has worked extensively with Ponting. This year, DC's head coach hopes to get the most out of the 22-year-old Mumbaikar, as he feels that the former U-19 World Cup-winning skipper has what it takes to play 100 Tests for India.
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"If I look at Prithvi's play, he has got every bit as much talent as I had, if not more, and I want to be able to turn him into a player that plays over 100 Test matches for India and represents his country as much as possible," Ponting said on the Delhi Capitals podcast.
"If I look back through the teams that I've been around when I took over the Mumbai Indians, Rohit was very young, Hardik Pandya hadn't played, Krunal hadn't played. A lot of the guys that I have coached there have gone on to play cricket for India, and that's what I want to do here, the DC coach added.
Shaw was one of the four players retained by the Delhi side ahead of this year's mega auction. In the four matches he has played so far, the batter has been impressive with his attacking approach and slammed two fifty-plus scores. With 160 runs to his name, Shaw is Delhi Capitals' leading run-scorer.
Prithvi made his Test debut for India against West Indies in 2018, and in his maiden innings, he scored 134 runs, but he lost his place in the team after that, first because of injury and then due to poor form.
