IPL 2018 | Prithvi Shaw’s technique is quite similar to Sachin Tendulkar, says Mark Waugh

05/04/2018

Mark Waugh feels that Prithvi Shaw, who has played some sensational knocks in this IPL, is similar to Sachin Tendulkar in terms of technique and the way he bats. The India Under-19 World Cup-winning skipper has scored 140 runs in the four matches he has played so far at an impressive average of 35.

Shaw, who was picked by DD for an amount of 1.2 crores, became the youngest player to feature in the IPL. After not being included in the team in the first five matches for DD, Shaw made sure that he grabbed the opportunity with both the hands and has impressed everyone with his stylish stroke play. He has scored 140 runs in the 4 matches he has played at an average of 35 and a splendid strike rate of 166.67.

The teenaged batsman, who led India U-19 to a World Cup triumph in New Zealand, has successfully adopted the role of the opener for DD, playing two match-winning innings for his side at Feroz Shah Kotla. He scored stylish 44-ball 62 against KKR, which made him the youngest player to score a fifty in the IPL.

Shaw’s 25-ball 47 against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday has compelled Mark Waugh to compare him to Sachin Tendulkar. Analysing the game on the Select Dugout show for official broadcasters Star, Waugh stated that Shaw’s technique is quite similar to Tendulkar.

“The first thing you notice is his technique, it’s very similar to Sachin Tendulkar. His grip, his stance, he stays very still at the crease and plays all his shots around the wicket. He plays the ball quite late and is quite punchy in his strokeplay and has an excellent base to play any shot from any bowler. He’s just so much like Sachin Tendulkar,” Waugh said.

Shaw made his name in Mumbai domestic cricket by scoring 546 as a 14-year-old, for Rizvi Springfield School in Mumbai Harris Shield tournament in 2013. He proved his mettle in the Ranji trophy, by scoring a century in his debut match, in the semi-final against Tamil Nadu and followed his Ranji trophy hundred with a hundred in the Duleep trophy at at just 17 years of age, which made him youngest to score a century on Duleep trophy debut, eclipsing Tendulkar’s record.

Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop too had compared Shaw’s front foot drive to Tendulkar, while commentating at the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand.