Prithvi Shaw Dropped as Abishek Porel Shines for Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals' assistant coach Pravin Amre has justified the exclusion of Prithvi Shaw from the team's recent matches, citing the impressive performances of Abishek Porel. Shaw, who played eight games for DC, scored 198 runs at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of 163.63, including one half-century.

"He [Shaw] was our retained player, but he was on the bench for the last four of five games," Amre said after DC's 19-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in their final league game of the season. "If you are not in form, you can't keep your place. The pressure for the team is so much that every game is important and we have to win."

Amre praised Porel for grabbing his opportunities with both hands. The left-hander smashed 327 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 159.51, including a blistering 58 off 33 balls against Lucknow Super Giants.

"What an innings [Porel] played today," Amre said. "We saw Jake [Fraser-McGurk] getting out in the first over and even then we managed to get 73 runs in the powerplay. I think that's what was so critical and the credit goes to Shai Hope and Porel for getting that 92-run partnership today."

Porel's impressive performances as an opener have given DC a new dimension. In the three matches he played at the top of the order, he scored 159 runs at a strike rate of 165.62, including two half-centuries.

"Porel has shown that he can be a valuable asset to the team," Amre said. "He is a very talented player and he has a bright future ahead of him."

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