"There should be a batter like him" - Dinesh Lad's huge statement on discarded Team India batter post ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Veteran India batter Rohit Sharma’s childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, recently made a candid statement about sidelined cricketer Prithvi Shaw. Speaking on a YouTube podcast with Gaurav Manglani, released on Saturday, August 9, Lad acknowledged Shaw’s immense talent but lamented how he has unfortunately derailed his own career.

Lad further stressed that the team still needs a player of Shaw’s caliber, given his aggressive batting style, while acknowledging that several promising youngsters are emerging in the ranks. He said:

“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.”

“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,” he added.

Meanwhile, in the upcoming 2025-26 domestic season, Prithvi Shaw will be representing Maharashtra after parting ways with Mumbai.

---

Prithvi Shaw’s last international appearance for India came in 2021

Prithvi Shaw debuted for India in Test cricket against the West Indies in October 2018 at Rajkot, where he made a remarkable 134 off 154 balls. However, his form dipped soon after, limiting him to just five Test appearances, with his last match played in 2020. Across nine innings, Shaw has scored 339 runs at an average of 42.37, including two half-centuries and one century.

Meanwhile, he has appeared in six ODIs, scoring 189 runs at an average of 31.50 with a strike rate of 113.85 and a highest score of 49. Additionally, he has played one T20I against Sri Lanka in 2021, where he was dismissed for a golden duck.