Delhi Capitals ended their league stage of IPL 2024 on Tuesday (May 14) with a win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Overall, they won and lost seven matches each, a stark improvement from the terrible start they had got off to winning only one out of first five matches. While they are not yet knocked out of the season, their poor net run-rate doesn't give them much hope of making it to playoffs either. While there were a lot of positives for the Capitals this season, one player who disappointed or wasn't consistent enough was Prithvi Shaw.
Usually a first name on the sheet for the side, Shaw got to play only eight matches this season scoring 198 runs at a strike rate of 163.63. He accumulated runs at a very good pace but the lack of big scores hurt him this time around as DC had to leave him out for another young player Abishek Porel who kept impressing more as the season progresses. The left-hander ended with 327 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 159.51 and 159 of them came while opening the innings in three matches at a strike rate of 165.62.
When asked about Prithvi Shaw being dropped from the playing XI multiple times during the course of the season, DC assistant coach Pravin Amre pointed out the importance of being in form during the IPL with a lot of other players staking claim for a place in the side. He also lauded Porel for grabbing his chances despite not opening the innings on most of the occasions.
"He [Shaw] was our retained player, and as you see, last four [of five] games he was also on the bench. But that's the IPL. If you are not in form, you can't [keep your place]. Ultimately, the pressure for the team is so much that every game is important and we have to win. And we had done that. Without playing him, we won the games. And whoever got the opportunity... I think Abishek grabbed the opportunities with both hands," Amre said after the match against LSG.
Porel smashed 58 runs off 33 balls with five fours and four sixes to his name helping DC amass 73 runs in the powerplay despite losing Jake Fraser-McGurk in the first over itself. Amre lauded him and Shai Hope for their second wicket stand that led the platform for the upcoming to come and go berserk in the second half of the innings. "What an innings [Porel] played today. We saw Jake [Fraser-McGurk] getting out in the first over and even then we managed to get 73 runs in the powerplay. I think that's what was so critical and the credit goes to Shai Hope and Porel for getting that 92-run partnership today," he added.
