Prithvi Shaw's promising career would not have taken the shape it has, had it not been for the three coaches ufffd Santosh Pingulkar (childhood coach from Virar), Raju Pathak (Rizvi Springfield coach) and Prashant Shetty (MIG coach) ufffd who have guided him thus far.
Prithvi began playing cricket as a five-year-old in the bylanes of Virar. Realising his love for the willow sport his father Pankaj took him to a local coach Santosh Pingulkar.
“I feel proud that a kid who trained under me is now a star in the making. I met him recently and he wasn’t happy with his form in the last year. There haven’t been any big scores from him. He was going through a lean phase. This is a perfect morale booster,” said Pingulkar.
“I trained him till he was nine; after that he has been guided by Prashant Shetty and the Rizvi coaching staff. I’m a satisfied man today. I received a lot of congratulatory calls. He has become a hero in Virar,” added Pingulkar.
Prithvi has gone through his own share of difficulties since childhood. He used to commute from Virar to Churchgate, starting his day as early as 4:30 am. Practice would start at 7:00 am before he would leave for his school Rizvi Springfield in Bandra. Talking about his
struggles, Pathak said, “He was a talented kid, but the travel (from Virar) used to tire him out. Now, he stays in Santacruz and can focus better on cricket. It’s been almost eight years that Prithvi has been associated with Rizvi Springfield. And he has never let anyone down.”
Talking about Prithvi’s mammoth knock, Pathak said, “Today Prithvi played really well. Once he crossed the 400-mark, I was sure he could make 500. We had the time and we told him not to worry and play his natural game.
We didn’t let the pressure of a record play on his mind. He was told about the record once he crossed 500. It gives me immense pleasure that he has made everybody proud.” Even MIG Club has played an important role in his development.
Prashant Shetty, who coaches Prithvi there, said: “I saw his images being flashed across TV channels. I’m not surprised to hear of his feat. He has the potential and has proved his worth today. We, at MIG, would like to thank him for making us proud.”u00a0
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