After leading Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, captain Shreyas Iyer expressed that Prithvi Shaw needs to improve his work ethic if he wants to achieve even greater success. Although Shaw showed glimpses of his talent, he failed to score a single half-century.
Following Mumbai's five wicket win over Madhya Pradesh in the final, Iyer said, “I think he is a God-gifted player. The amount of talent he possesses as an individual, no one has it. It’s just that he needs to improve his work ethic. He needs to get his work ethic right. And if he does that, the sky’s the limit for him"
Iyer believes no one possesses as much raw talent as Shaw, but it’s essential for Shaw to find the internal drive to regain his best form, rather than relying on external motivation.
“We can’t babysit anyone, right? He has played so much cricket. Everyone has given him input. At the end of the day, it’s his job to figure out things for himself. And he has also done it in the past. It’s not that he hasn’t. He has to focus. He has to sit back and put a thinking cap on. He will get the answer by himself. No one can force him to do anything,"
Prithvi Shaw's performance in 2024
Shaw’s domestic season in 2024 failed to inspire confidence, as he managed only 59 runs in four Ranji Trophy 2024-25 matches. His Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy performance was equally disappointing, with 197 runs across nine matches at an average of 21.88, failing to register a single half-century. Barring a 26-ball 49 in the quarterfinal, his contributions were largely forgettable, even as Mumbai clinched the title.
During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction no franchise showed interest in acquiring him. For a player once seen as a future Indian captain, this downfall serves as a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sport
