Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre Namedropped As Rohit Sharma's Coach Opens On Prithvi Shaw Spoiling His Career

India batter Rohit Sharma's childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, has opened up about Prithvi Shaw's disappointing career after choosing the wrong path. Lad, who has known Shaw since he was 10, stated that the young cricketer has exceptional talent but made poor choices, which ultimately led to his downfall.

Shaw was once seen as a rising star in Indian cricket. He scored a century on his international debut, and then-head coach Ravi Shastri compared him to legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Brian Lara. However, his performance declined, and he went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Speaking on a YouTube podcast with Gaurav Manglani, Dinesh Lad expressed disappointment over Prithvi Shaw's choices that led to his decline.

"I have seen Prithvi since his childhood, from the time he was 10 years old. He was a highly talented player. But as I have said, everyone's journey is individual, and I don't know what exactly happened with him. Still, Prithvi Shaw was a very talented cricketer. Unfortunately, he went down the wrong path and ended up spoiling his cricket," Lad said.

Dinesh Lad is confident about the future of Indian cricket with talents like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, who have been impressing at IPL and age-group levels. However, Lad added that a player like Shaw is still missing from the team.

"Even now, I feel there should be a batter like him, the way he used to bat. Although right now we have some truly outstanding batters. For example, the way Vaibhav Suryavanshi is batting, and the way Ayush Mhatre is batting. These are future cricketers in the making. They are getting ready in line. Indian cricket is almost at the top," Lad added.

Shaw last played competitive cricket in the Mumbai T20 League 2025. He captained the North Mumbai Panthers, who finished fifth in the points table and failed to qualify for the semifinals. The team ended with two wins and three losses. Shaw scored 137 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 163.10.

Prithvi Shaw made an impressive Test debut in 2018 with a century against the West Indies. However, the right-handed batter struggled to build on that strong start. Shaw scored 339 runs in five Tests at an average of 42.37, including two fifties and one hundred.

The 25-year-old has played six ODIs, scoring 189 runs, and appeared in a single T20I in 2021, where he was dismissed without scoring. He was named in India's squad for the 2023 home T20I series against New Zealand but did not get a chance to play.

Shaw was dropped from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy squads during the 2024-25 season, reportedly due to fitness issues. After parting ways with Mumbai, he is now set to represent Maharashtra in the 2025-26 domestic season.