Absolute cinema: The Delhi Capitals return Prithvi Shaw home after his anguish at the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Prithvi Shaw IPL 2026: Teams, Performance, and Updates
At the IPL 2026 mini-auction, Prithvi Shaw’s trip became “absolute cinema.” After two heartbreaks in a row, it was a true comeback tale. The former India opener eventually found a lifeline after being unsold twice. In the last expedited round, the Delhi Capitals acquired him for his base fee of ₹75 lakh.
In the first group of players, Shaw’s name was mentioned. However, no franchise expressed interest. After that, he was called up for the second accelerated round, but he was once more disregarded.
Shaw reportedly said, “It’s OK,” in a brief, heartfelt Instagram Stories post. There were two emojis in the message: “Hugging Face” and “Broken Heart.” He later removed it, though.
The Delhi Capitals intervened during the last expedited round in a dramatic turn of events. He was brought back at the base fee by his former IPL team.
Shaw missed out on the IPL 2025 mega-auction as well, so this transfer gave him a rare second shot. Shaw posted a picture of DC captain Axar Patel on Instagram along with the message, “Welcome back, Prithvi Shaw.”
Shaw responded, “Back to my family,” using the “Red Heart” emoji.
The IPL career of Prithvi Shaw
Thus far in his IPL career, Prithvi Shaw has shown a combination of early promise, explosive moments, and inconsistency. He has amassed 1,892 runs at an average of 23.95 in 79 games. His strike rate of 147.47 is impressive.
Shaw has scored 14 half-centuries and his maximum score is 99. Shaw has only represented DC during his IPL career.
The finest years for Shaw were from 2018 to 2021. He scored 479 runs in 2021 at a strike rate above 159 and an average near 32. He was crucial to the Delhi Capitals’ successful campaign.
His quick starts have always been his specialty. With 238 fours and 61 sixes altogether, he is praised for having a high boundary count.
But after 2021, his performance declined. The season of 2023 was especially bad. There was some improvement the next year, but only in a small number of games.
Prithvi Shaw ultimately did not sell during the IPL 2025 mega-auction. For the young batter, it was a huge setback. His poor shape, dubious fitness, and disciplinary problems were blamed for the rejection.
The nowadays form of Prthi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw’s outstanding domestic performance for Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025–26 led the Delhi Capitals to decide to re-sign him. In seven games, he amassed 183 runs with a strike rate higher than 160. The decision made by DC is viewed as high-risk, high-reward.
FAQ: Prithvi Shaw and His Return to Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026
Q1: What happened with Prithvi Shaw at the IPL 2026 mini-auction?
A: Prithvi Shaw went unsold in the first two rounds of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, creating a dramatic moment described as “absolute cinema.” Eventually, in the last accelerated round, Delhi Capitals re-signed him for his base price of ₹75 lakh.
Q2: How did Prithvi Shaw react to being unsold initially?
A: After going unsold twice, Shaw posted a brief message on Instagram Stories saying, “It’s OK”, along with a hugging face and broken heart emoji, which he later deleted.
Q3: How did Delhi Capitals bring Prithvi Shaw back?
A: In the final expedited round of the mini-auction, Delhi Capitals intervened and signed Shaw at his base price, marking a dramatic and emotional comeback for the young batter.
Q4: How did Shaw respond to rejoining Delhi Capitals?
A: Shaw shared a photo of DC captain Axar Patel on Instagram and captioned it, “Back to my family” with a red heart emoji.
Q5: What is Prithvi Shaw’s IPL career record so far?
A:
Matches: 79
Runs: 1,892
Average: 23.95
Strike rate: 147.47
Half-centuries: 14
Highest score: 99
Team: Only Delhi Capitals
Q6: What were Shaw’s best IPL seasons?
A: His peak years were 2018–2021. In 2021, he scored 479 runs with a strike rate over 159 and an average near 32, playing a key role in Delhi Capitals’ successful campaign.
Q7: Why did Shaw go unsold in IPL 2025 and initially in 2026?
A: Poor form, fitness concerns, and disciplinary issues contributed to Shaw being unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction and the early rounds of the 2026 mini-auction.
Q8: How has Prithvi Shaw performed recently?
A: Shaw excelled in the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Maharashtra, scoring 183 runs in 7 games with a strike rate over 160. This strong domestic performance encouraged Delhi Capitals to take a high-risk, high-reward decision to re-sign him.
