Key Highlights
- Seven hours later, the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings raised their hands, securing both at their base prices of INR 75 lakhs each.
- Will Prithvi Shaw, left, learn from Sarfaraz Khan?(Agencies/Sarfaraz Khan) The buys screamed risk.
- But their recent domestic performances that preceded this moment indicated something else entirely: redemption earned through runs and hard grind.
- Prithvi Shaw: DC’s reinvests in their powerplay weaponPrithvi Shaw did not just return to form, he obliterated the doubts with a statistical rampage that made ignoring him impossible.
- The Ranji Trophy statementSmashed 222 off 156 balls for Maharashtra against Chandigarh, reaching his double century in just 141 balls, one of the fastest in the tournament’s history. Became Maharashtra’s leading run-scorer after joining mid-season: 470 runs in 7 innings at an average of 67.14. This came after the Mumbai Cricket Association dropped him for fitness concerns in October 2024. The T20 proofOn his SMAT captaincy debut for Maharashtra, he cracked 66 runs off 36 balls, his half-century coming off just 23 deliveries. Accumulated 183 runs at a strike rate of 160.52, exactly the powerplay tempo IPL franchises obsess over. Why Delhi Capitals trust him againDC’s decision was not purely sentimental; it was calculated risk management: Familiar environment: Shaw spent seven seasons with DC, giving both parties an understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Role clarity: Indian powerplay accelerator to partner KL Rahul at the top, offering flexibility in both chasing and defending scenarios. Impact substitute era logic: Even without guaranteed XI status, Shaw becomes a situational weapon for flat tracks, small ground, or when DC need to win the powerplay outright. Redemption narrative: The captaincy responsibility in Maharashtra signaled structure, fitness standards, and dressing-room trust, exactly what DC needs to see. DC co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi framed it perfectly: “We see this as a second chance for Prithvi.
