The Prithvi Shaw rollercoaster ride

Prithvi Shaw was among four players retained by Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. He was tipped to become one of the new faces of the franchise along with captain Rishabh Pant.

The potential has always been there. That's why, even though he hasn't played a single game this season, he is still on the walls and the ad hoardings of the Capitals' adopted home in 2024, the ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam. But at the moment, he's struggling to do justice to it.

On the eve of the game against Chennai Super Kings, Shaw copped one of the first balls that he faced from a side-arm specialist on his upper body after being rushed into a pull. Then, when he was offered one outside off, Shaw reached out for the ball with his hands and wafted it away. It wasn't entirely convincing. Finally, when he got one on his legs, he pumped it over the long-on boundary. But he didn't generate the kind of buzz that Pant and Capitals' new recruit Jake Fraser-McGurk did when they repeatedly launched the ball over the boundary. When Pant was in full flow, Fraser-McGurk even sat down right behind his captain, leaned back, and soaked in the big hits.

All cricketers go through highs and lows but eventually they find a kind of rhythm or routine that helps them level out their performances. But sometimes, with Shaw, it feels like there is no middle ground.

He has just one half-century in his last 14 IPL innings. He was even dropped midway through the last season. Then he went to England and smashed 244 in a List A game for Northamptonshire. There will have been hope of carrying that form into the domestic season in India, but a knee injury put paid to that, and now he's here, having to restart his career in a tournament that offers no room for error.

On Saturday, Ponting acknowledged the work that Shaw is putting in behind the scenes, saying that he is in contention for selection. "Yeah, he's definitely pushing for it," he said. "He has worked hard in the last couple of weeks. Obviously, our team make-up in the first game without obviously [Anrich] Nortje being in allowed us to play four overseas batsmen.

"So doing that, we pushed Mitchell Marsh to the top of the order, which pushed Prithvi out of the side. So, yeah, we'll have a really good look at Prithvi at training today and see how well he plays in the nets. And if he impresses everybody today, we'll definitely consider him for selection for tomorrow."

Capitals have played Ricky Bhui, the 27-year-old uncapped Andhra batter, ahead of Shaw in both of their previous matches with team director Sourav Ganguly reasoning that the vacancy they have is in the middle order and that Bhui is a better fit. Bhui started the season by tickling one behind to the keeper for 5. In his next innings, with Shai Hope injured, he was bumped up to No. 3, and was bounced out by Nandre Burger for a duck.

"He [Bhui] has been a bit unlucky," Ponting said. "We backed him at No. 5 in our first game. With four overseas batsmen, we picked Ricky as a No. 5. He got caught down the leg side - a ball that would have been wide just flicked his glove on the way down and on the other day he got surprised by a really good short ball from Burger.

"Yes, he hasn't had the perfect start but doesn't mean he can't have an impact on this tournament."

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's Time:Out analysis show, Tom Moody, the former Australia allrounder and Sunrisers Hyderabad coach, tried to make sense of Shaw's non-selection. "Looking at that squad, there's a few issues there. One of the things you also have to look at is their Indian talent," Moody said. "They haven't had the return from Prithvi Shaw that they would've liked. He is a top-line player potentially, but he hasn't risen to that potential.

"Sourav Ganguly did make a point and he would have made the point if he [Shaw] was injured. But he made a point that of Ricky Bhui because of his middle-order skills against Prithvi Shaw. Otherwise, he would've said unfortunately he's not fit at the moment and hopefully we will get him at game three or four."

The best players find ways to use the adversity they face to make themselves better. Shaw has had his share of that, both on and off the field. His career is at a crossroads. But at 24 years old, he has time on his side, and it is clear that he is trying to put in the effort. Whether the payoff comes or not is anybody's guess.