Sachin Tendulkar's powerful message strikes a chord with Prithvi Shaw: 'The valuable lessons in your setbacks…'

The struggling Prithvi Shaw is in desperate need of guidance and advice after being snubbed at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Despite being a talented 25-year-old, Shaw was left disappointed as not a single franchise showed interest in him during the event held in Jeddah last week. This rejection, coupled with his recent reports of indiscipline that led to his removal from Mumbai's Ranji Trophy squad, and a slump in form, has put Shaw in a precarious situation. His inability to score runs, including two ducks in five innings of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, combined with concerns over his fitness, have cast a dark cloud over his future. However, a crucial piece of advice from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to all aspiring young Indian cricketers could serve as a much-needed wake-up call for Shaw, potentially helping him navigate through these challenging times.

On Tuesday, Tendulkar inaugurated a memorial for his former coach, Ramakant Achrekar, where he shared a lesson in discipline with the nation's youth, urging them to be more respectful towards their kits. Calling it one of Archrekar's most valuable lessons, Tendulkar highlighted the importance of players being respectful towards their cricket equipment.

"Sir also taught us to respect our kits. Since retiring, I've been saying this to a lot of players, and I see this among many players. They walk back inside (after being dismissed), throw the bat and do a lot of other things. It's because of this bat that you are sitting in this dressing room today. So please never throw it," Tendulkar said.

"I can see a lot of young cricketers here. Please remember, never throw your kit, whether it be the bat or gloves or anything else. Always respect it. There is a place to keep them, and it should be there only. The frustration of your failure… don't take it out on your kits. This was the training sir gave us since we were kids, and all we can promise to do is pass on his message to the next generation. Whether I can do it as well as he did, I don't know. of us can reach his level."

As Tendulkar mentioned, discipline starts with the basics, and Shaw can really use some of it. It's not like Tendulkar hasn't spoken to Shaw regarding his issues. In fact, when the BCCI suspended him for using a banned substance in early 2020, Tendulkar reached out to Shaw to get him back on track. But his advice seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as there's hardly been any improvement in Shaw or his game even after four years.

Shaw, once billed as the 'next Sachin Tendulkar', hasn't been spotted much with the Master Blaster, barring a couple of times. Recalling his first meeting with Sachin, around 2008, when Tendulkar was still an active cricketer, Shaw, yet to hit 10 at that time, recalled being a little overwhelmed by his presence.

"I came to know that Sachin sir also plays in MIG (Middle Income Group Ground). The club has a great reputation. I came to that club and started practicing. There, I saw Sachin sir playing, for the first time. I saw him in person for the first time. I saw him from a distance. He was practicing on the main wicket. At that time, I did not take a photo because there were many people. I was around 9 years old then. The next time I was batting, on the middle wicket, Jagdish sir [coach] requested Sachin sir to watch me bat," said Shaw on the Focused Indian YouTube channel.

"Sachin sir was standing on the first floor. I saw that sir was watching. And under that pressure, I missed two or three balls. Till then, I was batting fine. But when Sachin Sir was standing, my eyes were more on him than the ball. Eventually, I started middling and everything went well."