'Whom Do You Want Us To Drop?': Prithvi Shaw's IPL Future In Doubt After DC Director's Big Statement
The Delhi Capitals campaign in IPL 2026 has continued to go off the tracks and amidst all the turmoil in the DC camp there's a story that has dominated all the talking points it is the continuous exclusion of Prithvi Shaw from the playing XI. Considered as one of India's brightest young stars not long ago Shaw is yet to get a match this season in an 11-match career for DC.
The Delhi franchise is struggling at the bottom of the points table with just four wins in their 11 league stage games and seven losses. While all the players have found it difficult to perform consistently management has persisted with their opening combination of KL Rahul
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DC Management Breaks Silence on Shaw
Addressing questions over the continuity of Shaw's exclusion from the team after Delhi Capitals defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, the DC Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao spoke his mind.
Rao questioned :
"At the top of the order, whom do you want us to drop? Pathum or KL?"
KL Rahul has emerged as one of the best batters in IPL 2026 thus far. The wicket-keeper-batter has aggregated nearly 500 runs at a strike rate of 180 including three half-centuries and a blistering unbeaten 152. Pathum Nissanka too has shown glimpses of good form this season scoring 278 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150 with two fifties.
However he has made it extremely difficult for the management to change the opening combination. It is to be noted that during a game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Nissanka missed the game and DC still didn't pick Shaw and gave the opening duties to young Sahil Parakh who was dismissed on the second ball.
Shaw's Career Faces Another Tough Phase
The year 2018 was a landmark one for Prithvi Shaw as he captained India to the U19 World Cup title and not long after he made his India debut. He was considered as the future of Indian cricket however things haven't always been bright for him. Shaw joined Delhi Capitals soon after and remained an important player for the franchise in the subsequent seasons.
In 79 IPL innings he has aggregated 1892 runs at a healthy strike rate of 147.46 with 14 fifties, however his form has been on the decline in the past two years. His last IPL appearance came against KKR on April 29, 2024 where he scored a mere 13 runs and he was unsold in the IPL 2025 auction before being picked by Delhi for a base price of INR 75 lakh following a productive domestic season for Maharashtra in 2026.
The playoff hopes for Delhi Capitals are now hanging by a thread. With just 3 games left to play they could manage a maximum of 14 points which doesn't seem like enough to qualify and so does Shaw's career for DC this season.