Dilip Vengsarkar's advice to Prithvi Shaw: Stay focused and be consistent

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar advised Mumbai teenage batsman Prithvi Shaw, 17, to stay focussed on his game if he wants to don the India jersey soon. "I have not seen Prithvi play much, but I have heard a lot about him. It's important for him to remain focussed and consistent. There are no shortcuts to success. If you work hard, success will definitely follow you. Don't look for shortcuts," Vengsarkar, a former chairman of selectors, said during the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) awards ceremony at Bombay Gymkhana yesterday.

Prithvi Shaw receives the Junior Cricketer of the Year award from Maharashtra's Sports Minister Vinod Tawde and ex-India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar (left) at Bombay Gymkhana yesterday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Shaw, who was picked as the SJAM's Junior Cricketer of the Year, scored a match-winning 120 on his Ranji Trophy debut in Rajkot earlier this year to help Mumbai beat Tamil Nadu in the semi-final. "You are a young cricketer and there is money involved, so that can be disruptive. Staying focused is very important," Vengsarkar said as Prithvi stood at the other end of the hall.