Prithvi Shaw KL Rahul. Image Credits: AFP
Once touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, Prithvi Shaw is yet to make his IPL 2026 appearance, despite the Delhi Capitals struggling to pick up wins with 11 matches of the season already played.
Shaw and Abishek Porel are two Indian names who have done well for the franchise but find themselves on the sidelines of the ongoing tournament due to Pathum Nissanka’s presence at the top. Additionally, catering to the team combination needs, David Miller is also out of the XI, which has raised eyebrows.
As the tournament heads into its final stages, DC’s management has further provided information about Shaw’s future for the ongoing season.
DC issues statement over Prithvi Shaw’s future
With the option to open with KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw, many believe the Capitals would do significantly well, if they put David Miller in the struggling middle-order, considering his decade-and-a-half long experience in averting collapses.
Addressing the issue over Prithvi Shaw’s non-selection, DC’s Director of Cricket, Venugopal Rao, made a demoralising statement for Shaw’s camp and put his future with the team in jeopardy.
“At the top of the order, whom do you want us to drop? Pathum or KL?” he asked after a loss against KKR.
Notably, KL Rahul, who is closing in on 500 runs this season, has scored at a brilliant strike rate of 180 with three fifties and a whopping 152* as the leading run-getter. He is followed by Pathum Nissanka, who has 278 runs, blowing hot and cold with two fifties so far.
Also Read: Delhi Capitals Out Of IPL 2026, Axar Patel Admits
Apart from the pair, who have opened together in 10 matches, Sahil Parakh played one match as an opener ahead of Shaw when Nissanka was benched against RCB. He scored a two-ball duck before joining Shaw back on the bench again. In the same match, Abishek Porel played as the impact player in the middle order, keeping Shaw out of the team.
When did Prithvi Shaw last play in IPL?
At the back of a brilliant U19 World Cup win in 2018, where Shaw led the team to glory, he was roped in by the then Delhi Daredevils and hit the ground running in the IPL.
Over the next 6 years, Prithvi Shaw was the mainstay of the DC lineup, scoring 1892 runs in 79 innings at a strike rate of 147.46, with 14 fifties to his name. However, following a steep downfall, he last played an IPL match on April 29, 2024, against KKR, scoring only 13 runs. His last IPL fifty came against MI at the Wankhede on April 7, 2024.
He later went unsold in IPL 2025 auction, before returning in 2026 for the base price of INR 75L, courtesy of a decent domestic season with Maharashtra.
Can DC qualify for IPL 2026 playoffs?
Having played 11 matches, DC sit on 8 points with 4 wins and 7 losses in the tournament. With three matches remaining, they can reach a maximum of 14 points this season.
Ideally, a team needs 16 points to secure a playoff position, which is out of question now. Their fate in the tournament is now out of their hands and barring any out-of-the-world surprise, the Capitals are out of IPL 2026.
Also Read: IPL 2026: RR vs GT Prediction, Match 52- Who Will Win Today?
