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Prithvi Shaw`s fall from prodigy to prodigal has been seemingly irreversible, but Shreyas Iyer feels that Mumbai batsman can reach the deserving heights if he gets his work ethics right.
Prithvi Shaw gave glimpses of his talent in the concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Mumbai under Shreyas Iyer clinched the title. Iyer scored 197 runs in nine matches but was not able to score a fifty.
“I think personally 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 ethics”, said Shreyas Iyer after Mumbai`s 5-wicket win over Madhya Pradesh here in the SMAT final.
“He needs to get his work ethics right. And if he does that, sky`s the limit for him”, he said.
However, Iyer said the desire to embrace redemption should stem within Shaw himself.
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“We can`t babysit anyone, right? He has played so much cricket. Everyone has given him inputs. 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 said.
Detailing his point, Iyer said: “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.”
Shreyas Iyer`s appreciation of Ajinkya Rahane should work as a guide for Prithvi Shaw.
“He is that sort of a character who will give 110% for the team. He started at number 4, where he knew that there were two openers. So, he sacrificed his position and then after that when Surya came in, he became an opener. So he is a fantastic team man.”
“But irrespective, salute to him, the way he approached each and every game, match by match. I am a firm believer of someone who has a certain type of routine and he is one of them”, he said.
Ajinkya Rahane emerged as the top run-scorer in this edition of SMAT. He garnered 469 runs with an average of 58.62 and a strike rate of 165.
Mumbai`s cupboard is brimming with young talent, and Iyer underlining that fact might just also have been a mild warning to Prithvi haw to knuckle down.
“All the youngsters who have come up and the way they showcase their talent is simply phenomenal. You should see their character and their approach outside the dressing room and also on the field.”
“They`re fearless in their approach and this is the kind of players we need to back. And for me personally, whenever I go out there I want to win. It doesn`t matter who we play, winning is something that makes me feel happy and it is everything for me”, he explained.
But for now, Iyer wants to immerse in the joy of leading his side to the second SMAT title after 2022, without worrying about the road ahead including a new IPL franchise in Punjab Kings.
“Right now I just want to go and enjoy it with my teammates. I am not thinking about what to plan ahead. Go out there, enjoy with my teammates, my family, my friends.”
“Get some applause from my friends about this success. Cherish it. And after that, we will see what is up there”, said Shreyas Iyer.
(With PTI Inputs)
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