'The learning was..' - Shaw dwells on lacklustre IPL campaign for DC

Returning to competitive realms with West Zone's Duleep Trophy semifinal clash against Central Zone, Prithvi Shaw says month-long break since the conclusion of IPL 2023 gave him the chance to dwell upon his lacklustre campaign with Delhi Capitals (DC). 

With his stocks in Indian cricket dropping off a cliff, Shaw endured another big dent to his hopes of reclimbing the ladder after a horrible stint for the Capitals. He was dropped twice during the season and managed only 106 runs across his eight innings at a below-par strike rate of 124.71. 

The 23-year-old, who last played for India in July 2021 with a second-string side in Sri Lanka and wasn't picked in a young squad picked for the forthcoming T20Is in the Caribbean, has had to deal with disciplinary accusations against him while also striving to overcome longstanding technical flaws with the bat. 

For the cricketer personally, however, he would better not focus much on the past but only absorb lessons that come out of it, which, Prithvi Shaw says, was his biggest learning from a disappointing stint with DC this summer. 

Prithvi Shaw on biggest lessons from IPL 2023

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in an interview, Shaw said his idea now is to live in the present while imbibing lessons from the struggles and still not ruffle his headspace much by excessively brooding over it. The youngster believes his time will come again if he kept up with this mantra and continued with the right process. 

"Those few innings [at the start of IPL 2023] went in a flash. [While] I kept thinking about the first match, I quickly realised three matches had passed," Shaw said. "The learning was once the match is done, just leave it there. You can't do anything about it, it's history. You have to keep moving forward."

Also Read - "Only goal to make KKR win" - Venkatesh Iyer emphasies his best season will coincide with KKR lifting trophy

The aggressive right-hander recalled his comeback for the T20Is against New Zealand earlier in the year without getting an opportunity in the playing XI and took a philosophical outlook to speak on promising youngsters such as Yashavi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad leapfrogging him in the reckoning across formats. 

"When I came back for the T20s against New Zealand, I didn't get a chance [to play] but this is what life is. Sometimes you get chances, sometimes you don't. You have to accept it. It's not like I'll be sitting down there and thinking 'why, why'."

"I mean, I do ask myself that question but at the end of the day, if you go there and perform well, do your fitness routines, score well, you'll be there. I just try and be as positive as I can," he added.