NEW DELHI: Opener Prithvi Shaw is leaving no stone unturned in his bid for a national comeback, putting in "three times more" effort as he gears up for a return to the IPL with Delhi Capitals.
Shaw, who last represented India during the Sri Lanka tour in July 2021, has since endured a turbulent phase marked by injuries, form issues and off-field setbacks. He even went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, before working his way back through domestic cricket. The Mumbai batter had burst onto the international scene with a century on Test debut against the West Indies in 2018, becoming one of the youngest Indians to achieve the feat before his career took a downturn.
"I think that's why I'm playing. There's no doubt that I have to come back to the Indian team. That's why I'm working very hard. The amount of hard work I used to put in, I put in three times more today", Shaw responded to a PTI query here. "Actually, I don't like to talk about it, but I feel that I'm giving not 100%, but 200% to come back to the Indian team, to win this trophy or to give 100% on a match day or on a practice day as well. "Whatever ups and downs happened in the last few years, I took it all with a lot of respect and a smile. And obviously, it stays in my mind when I'll be back. But there's only one way to do it work hard and give your 100%. If you've made some mistakes, learn from them."
Captains express reservations on Impact Player rule
A majority of IPL captains expressed their reservations on the Impact Player rule that has divided opinions since its introduction in 2023.
In 2024, the BCCI had extended the Impact Player in the IPL until at least 2027. Yet, the strategic rule continues to be debated by fans and players alike.
In the IPL Captains Meeting in Mumbai, the topic was discussed at length by the leaders of all 10 franchises.
“Majority of the captains gave their inputs on the Impact Player rule and expressed their reservations even though the BCCI has extended the rule till 2027. They were told it can only be reviewed after the 2027 edition and not before that,” an IPL source said.
Earlier this week, Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel joined the likes of Rohit Sharma in criticising the Impact Player rule.
“I don’t like this rule as I am an all-rounder myself. Earlier we used to pick all-rounders for this role (batting and bowling). Now the team management goes with a particular batter or bowler, they say why do we need an all-rounder? Being an all-rounder myself I don’t like it but at the same time rules are rules. We have to follow them. But personally I don’t like it, said Axar on Monday in his opening media interaction ahead of IPL 2026.
In 2024, Rohit had said that he was not a fan of the Impact Player concept saying it hampered the development of all-rounders in Indian cricket while the following season, Hardik Pandya said it had become difficult to pick an all-rounder in the side unless he was equally good with both bat and ball.
Even foreign players like Glenn Phillips have said that the rule could adversely impact the future of all-rounders.
Shaw, who last represented India during the Sri Lanka tour in July 2021, has since endured a turbulent phase marked by injuries, form issues and off-field setbacks