Who is the most flop cricketer of Indian history?

What was supposed to be a blockbuster turned into a disaster. From the streets of Thane to representing team India at the highest order of the game- Prithvi Shaw gained the biggest stage, the fame rapidly at a very young age. Shaw debuted for India at the age of 18 years and 319 days on October 4, 2018, in a Test match against the West Indies. With a strong back hand and ability to maintain balance on backfoot, he was considered as one of the rare talents of Indian cricket who could perform the backfoot punch and backfoot drive through covers precisely. The rise of Prithvi was nothing less than a fairytale. At the age of only four, he lost his mother. His father, Pankaj Shaw, took all the responsibilities on his shoulders to ensure his son’s upbringing and fulfill the ambitions around the game.

Through hard work and dedication, a young Prithvi was growing silently until he played a sensational 546 runs in 330 balls during a Harris Shield match at the age of 14. He captured the headlines; overnight, Prithvi Shaw became a household name—a generational talent. Controlled and confident performances with India Under-19 helped Prithvi to attract an INR 1.2 crore check from Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) ahead of IPL 2018. By then, the right-handed batter was positioned as the next big thing.

But why did Shaw fail on the rough land from the top of the ladder when things were looking ideal enough to shape a potential rock-solid career? Labeling a player ‘Flop’ might sound too harsh, but there is nothing between ‘Hit’ and ‘Flop.’ After gaining international exposure, the top-order batsman’s career graph shaped like a downward spiral.

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Reasons why Prithvi Shaw flopped after playing for India:

Unable to adapt to top-quality cricket competition: The downfall of Prithvi Shaw is a perfect example to reflect the difference between domestic cricket and international cricket standards. When he went to play against the West Indies in Tests, he was a raw, mostly unexplored talent, which was quickly exploited because he failed to develop himself according to the merit against some of the best in the business. During the Adelaide Test in 2020 against Australia, he lost his wicket twice in almost the same manner. Shaw went to make a stroke away from his body and fell into the trap.

Prithvi Shaw’s international career in numbers, season by season:

Series of controversies: In 2019, he was suspended for 8 months by BCCI for a doping violation after he tested positive for a banned substance. He tried to protect himself by making some excuses, but those were too fragile to protect him from suspension. His public behavior and social media activities also raised concerns about his discipline and professionalism. The hard work and the dedication that helped Shaw to shape his career during his early days gradually started to disappear.

Fitness Issue: Without dedication and concentration, Shaw started to lose his credibility and fitness as well. Dinesh Lad, who observed the batter from his early days, opined, “I have seen Prithvi since his childhood, from the time he was 10 years old. He was a highly talented player. Unfortunately, he went down the wrong path and ended up spoiling his cricket.” While BCCI focused on progressing cricketers’ fitness levels, Shaw was then walking in the opposite direction, gradually losing shape and pace on the field, which only helped him to find the exit door of the Team India dressing room. 

Rise of Multiple Young Batters: By the time Shaw was struggling with multiple series issues, multiple fresh talents started to arise. Players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and many top-order batters attracted attention from selectors. The spot Shaw achieved was snatched by the other emerging cricketers.