A year ago, teenager Prithvi Shaw compelled the cricketing fraternity to take note of his class by scoring a splendid century in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu and that too, in his debut first-class match
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Prithvi Shaw
A year ago, teenager Prithvi Shaw compelled the cricketing fraternity to take note of his class by scoring a splendid century in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu and that too, in his debut first-class match. Few months later, he slammed another ton (154) on debut in the Duleep Trophy final for India Red against India Blue at Lucknow.
Not satisfied
Even though the runs are freely flowing, the zeal to perform better still remains. “I don't want to be satisfied with these centuries. I need to play much better,” Prithvi told mid-day recently.
Such analysis of his own performance not only shows the level Prithvi wants to reach, but also exhibits his maturity as a cricketer. In the last one year, the Mumbai batsman has scored 961 runs in nine first-class matches with an average of 56.52, which includes five hundreds and three half-centuries. His versatility to adapt to any format of the game was also brought to the fore when he had to shuffle between playing matches for President's XI and India 'A' teams against the visiting New Zealand team, apart from playing in the U-19 Challengers Trophy.
So, how does Prithvi, who will lead India in the forthcoming U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, manage to maintain consistency in different formats? “It's my passion for this game that drives me to work hard every day. I think it's the daily 10 minutes of visualisation that I do before going to bed, where I recollect the day and see where I could have done better. That makes a difference and keeps me fresh and energised for the next day,” he added.
Dravid's guidance
Former India skipper and coach of the World Cup-bound U-19 squad, Rahul Dravid has worked hard with his young brigade during a two-week preparatory camp in Bangalore, where Prithvi & Co went through rigorous training. Dravid also put the team through match simulations to gear them up for any situation during the tournament.
India is the most successful team in the U-19 World Cup winning the trophy thrice -- in 2000, 2008 and 2012 -- under the captaincy of Mohammed Kaif, Virat Kohli and Unmukt Chand respectively. Will Prithvi be an addition to the list next month? Let's hope, like 2017, this year too brings laurels to Mumbai's son of the soil, Prithvi!
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