Prithvi Shaw: Learnt a lot from Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly at IPL

Panthers skipper Prithvi Shaw en route his 31-ball 53 yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Captaincy is not a new task for the young Prithvi Shaw, who has been leading teams right from his Giles Shield and Harris Shield inter-school cricket days to the victorious U-19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand last year. However, there is always room for improvement as a leader and that's what he is focussing on as he leads the North Mumbai Panthers in the ongoing T20 Mumbai League.

"I have always loved captaining teams right from a young age. I was captain of the Rizvi Springfield [Bandra] many years ago but this is totally different. It's a big learning for me. There will be many pressure situations and I have watched and learnt at Delhi Capitals under Ricky [Ponting] sir, Sourav [Ganguly] sir and Shreyas Iyer how they handle pressure at the IPL. So, as a captain, I have to constantly keep thinking about how to handle pressure," Shaw said during a press conference at Wankhede yesterday.

'Playing IPL is huge'
Shaw, who scored 353 runs in 16 IPL games for DC, also revealed how Ponting and Ganguly helped him prepare mentally for challenges in the T20 format. "They [Ponting and Ganguly] helped us prepare to be strong on tough occasions. Being a youngster and playing the IPL is huge. I would be nervous but they would always calm my nerves," said Shaw, who had to return from the Australia tour without playing a single Test and ODI due to an ankle injury in a warm-up game last year.

Dad's advice
He is now following dad Pankaj's advice to make a comeback into the Indian team. "I was disappointed at the start, [after the injury], but a lot of the senior players, coaches, and my friends helped me get through that phase. Then, my dad kept telling me that he believed in my ability to come back stronger from any situation and that really encouraged me," said Shaw, who will be representing India 'A' against West Indies 'A' in five one-day games and a four-day match in July and August.

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