Will CSK Go After Prithvi Shaw? Ashwin Shares His Opinion

Over the last two years, Prithvi Shaw’s cricketing career has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. Once touted as the next ‘Sachin Tendulkar’, Shaw saw his stocks drop in double quick time after he was left out of Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad. 

Not just that, it coincided with Indian Premier League (IPL) teams showing no interest in acquiring the swashbuckling opener. However, Shaw, since then, has made a stellar comeback with his new team, Maharashtra, where he’s scored a double century (222) against Chandigarh, showing his changed fortunes. 

In the wake of his performance in domestic cricket, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin reckoned that the opener might be on the franchise’s radar. CSK have struggled greatly finding an able opener after Ruturaj Gaikwad moved down the order at No.3. 

“I won’t deny it, he’s definitely on the radar, everyone will say that I leaked inside information. I don’t have inside information; this is a random guess. Ruturaj Gaikwad doesn’t want to open. So, Prithvi Shaw’s doors are definitely open,” Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel. 

“You look at all the players that CSK has picked in the past, the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, who went unsold; they value people with experience and skills,” he added. 

While definitely struggling later on in his IPL career, Shaw’s numbers are still incredible for a youngster, with the 25-year-old amassing 1892 runs at a strike rate of 147.46. Even in his last IPL season, the former Mumbai batter smashed 180 runs at a strike rate of 163.63.

“Shaw is a big tick box. Last year, he didn’t have a great time, but this year, he’s showing signs. Not just CSK, any team will want to use the opportunity to pick Shaw this year and make a statement. Talents like Shaw shouldn’t go to waste; he should be putting on display in front of a packed crowd,” he concluded.