Despite being retained by the Capitals before the season, Shaw did not play in the first two games. In his debut match of IPL 2024 against Chennai Super Kings, he scored a quick 43 off 27 balls and followed it up with a 66(40) against the five-time champion Mumbai Indians.However, his form began to decline after that.
In contrast, Abhishek Porel seized the opportunity and scored an impressive 327 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 159.51. Porel’s outstanding performance was evident in DC’s final group stage match against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, where DC secured a 19-run victory. Porel left the opposition bowlers stunned with his knock of 58 off 33 deliveries, contributing significantly to DC’s powerplay score of 73 runs. He also shared a 92-run partnership with Shai Hope for the second wicket.
“He [Shaw] was our retained player, and as you see, last four [of five] games he was also on the bench. But that’s the IPL. If you are not in form, you can’t [keep your place]. Ultimately, the pressure for the team is so much that every game is important and we have to win,” Amre said.
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“And we had done that. Without playing him, we won the games. And whoever got the opportunity… I think Abishek grabbed the opportunities with both hands,” he added.
Throughout the current season, Shaw played a total of eight matches for DC, scoring 198 runs at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of 163.64, including a single half-century. On the other hand, Porel batted in various positions for DC. In the three matches he played as an opener, Porel accumulated 159 runs at a strike rate of 165.62.
(Inputs from ANI)