3 teams who should target Prithvi Shaw for IPL 2026 ft. Kolkata Knight Riders

Prithvi Shaw made a strong statement on his Maharashtra debut with a sensational century against Chhattisgarh in the ongoing 2025 Buchi Babu Tournament. The right-hander scored 111 runs off 141 balls in the first innings.

He had recently obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to leave his former state, Mumbai, after he was dropped from the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy squad. It was a tough period for him as he had also gone unsold during the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Prithvi Shaw last featured in the league in 2024, where he scored 198 runs from eight games at an average of 24.75 and a strike-rate of 163.63 for the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Shaw made his IPL debut in 2018 with DC and spent seven seasons with them before he was released and went unsold. So far, he has played 79 matches and has piled on 1892 runs at an average of 23.94 and a strike-rate of over 147. His T20 numbers are impressive as he has notched up 2902 runs from 117 games at a strike-rate of 151.54 with a hundred and 20 fifties.

As he has returned to form, an IPL comeback could be on the cards if he keeps scoring consistently. That said, here are three teams that should look to rope in Prithvi Shaw for IPL 2026.

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#3 Delhi Capitals (DC)

Prithvi Shaw's former and only IPL team so far, Delhi Capitals (DC), could look to get the opener back into their side. DC failed to make the playoffs despite having played well for most of the season. They used four players as openers across different combinations. There were Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abhishek Porel, and KL Rahul.

Fraser-McGurk failed at the top and scored only 55 runs from six matches. Du Plessis made 202 runs from nine innings and was not as successful either. KL Rahul (539 runs) and Porel (301 runs) were the successful batters for them at the top.

Therefore, they were found wanting at the top as their openers averaged only 19.23 throughout the season. That said, Delhi could look to add some firepower at the top and bring back Prithvi Shaw for the next season.

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#2 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a disappointing IPL 2025. They finished last after the league stage and won only four out of their 14 matches. CSK faced struggles with their batting throughout the season and only had an improvement towards the end.

Their opening combinations failed to provide solid starts. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out after a few games, and his absence hurt the side. The likes of Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, and Devon Conway could not do much at the top. CSK then shifted to young players at the top like Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre.

The former champions would need someone who can take the attack to the bowlers and bat aggressively in the powerplay, an area where they lacked last season. Given his batting style, Prithvi Shaw could fit the bill as an opener. Gaikwad moving to number three would also give them more stability and depth.

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#1 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Three-time IPL winners and 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could not defend their title in 2025. KKR also faced issues with their top-order and opening combinations. They would be in desperate need of a solid opener for the next season.

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane had a decent season at the top. He made 390 runs at an average of 35.45 and a strike-rate of 147.72 with three fifties. However, the other openers they tried failed to deliver. Quinton de Kock made 152 runs from eight innings at an average of 21.71 and a strike-rate of 129.91. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored only 74 runs from five games.

A young and explosive Indian opener is what KKR would be looking at as their openers could not give them solid starts consistently last year. An opportunity could open up for Prithvi Shaw to fit into the side.