"It doesn't make sense" - Tom Moody on DC picking Ricky Bhui over Prithvi Shaw in IPL 2024

Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody believes that Delhi Capitals (DC) should give the nod to Prithvi Shaw over Ricky Bhui for their upcoming matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2024).

Moody pointed out that while Shaw has been underwhelming in the past few seasons, selecting him ahead of Bhui is a more viable option, considering his international cricket experience. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Moody said:

"It doesn't make sense due to the fact that you've got an Indian international player (Prithvi Shaw) in the dugout. Yes, he hasn't performed in the IPL like we had all hoped he would, but you can't score runs from the dugout."

Prithvi Shaw was benched for Delhi's first two games of the season. Ricky Bhui, a domestic cricket star, hasn't cashed in on his opportunities, registering scores of 3 and 0 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), respectively.

Wasim Jaffer also expressed his surprise at Delhi not playing Shaw despite retaining him ahead of the IPL 2024 mini-auction. Reacting to the swashbuckling opener's exclusion from DC's first two fixtures, he said:

"Now that they have held onto him and not let him go into the auction, I'm surprised they're not playing him. He's played for Mumbai for most of the season, so you'd imagine that he's fit. I'm surprised. Punishing him and then losing the games is not the way to go forward."

Prithvi Shaw came under the scanner following a string of poor performances in IPL 2023. He finished with just 106 runs from eight outings at an average of 13.25. He looked in good touch in domestic cricket, amassing 451 runs across nine innings at an average of 50.11 in Ranji Trophy 2023/24.

---

"What it does also is highlight the jump between Ranji Trophy runs to international cricket and IPL" - Tom Moody on Ricky Bhui's dismissal in RR vs DC clash

Ricky Bhui was out caught behind for a duck against Rajasthan on Thursday. The right-handed batter perished to a sharp bouncer by Nandre Burger.

Speaking about the dismissal, Tom Moody mentioned that it indicated the gap between domestic cricket and the IPL. He said:

"That's exactly what you'd like to see a genuine quick bowler to do. And to do it to a top order player is even more alarming. What it does also is highlight the jump between Ranji Trophy runs to international cricket and IPL."

Notably, Ricky Bhui enjoyed an imperious run in the Ranji Trophy 2023/24. He was the highest run-getter of the season, chalking up 902 runs in 13 innings at an average of 75.16. However, his red-hot domestic form hasn't translated into the IPL so far.