Captaincy is something I definitely enjoy, reveals Prithvi Shaw

03/15/2021

Prithvi Shaw, who led Mumbai to their fourth Vijay Hazare Trophy title on Sunday, insisted that captaining sides from a young age has helped him grow as a leader and claimed that leadership is a responsibility he enjoys. A remarkable 2020/21 campaign saw the 21-year-old amass a record 872 runs.

A dream month for Prithvi Shaw came to a fitting end as on Sunday, the 21-year-old led Mumbai to their fourth Vijay Hazare Trophy title. Skippering the side in the absence of incumbent Shreyas Iyer, Shaw, after losing the toss, was tasked with chasing 313 but he cherished the responsibility as, coming on the back of scores of 185* and 165, the right-hander struck a blazing 39-ball 73 to set the tone for the chase. Shaw’s onslaught deflated Uttar Pradesh as the rest of the Mumbai batsmen followed their captain’s suit to lead the side from the West to their fourth Vijay Hazare title.

The title on Sunday was Shaw’s second major victory as skipper in his young career, having already led India to a U19 WC win in 2018, and the 21-year-old asserted that captaincy is something he cherishes.

“I have been captaining from a very young age. I have captained under-14s, under-16s, under-19s, India A and I enjoy this process,” Shaw said post the title win on Sunday, reported Cricbuzz.

With 827 runs, Shaw finished as the highest run-getter in the tournament and carried Mumbai’s batting almost single-handedly, in the entire competition. However, the youngster stated that his side won the title not because of his brilliance but because of a collective team effort.

“Everyone contributed in this tournament, it wasn't an individual. From the support staff, the players, this trophy goes to everyone. Tare batted so well today. It could have gone any way in that situation and everyone was happy for him because finishing isn't easy.”

Shaw’s outrageous achievements in 2020/21 Vijay Hazare Trophy will be remembered for years to come, but what made them even more special was the fact that he entered the competition with his confidence rock-bottom, having been humiliated in Australia. The 21-year-old said that post the Australia tour, he solely focused on working hard in fixing the gaping holes that got exposed.

“It was difficult in Australia, and the only thing I wanted to do was go back and work hard, fill the gaps and come back strongly.”