Pravin Amre calls Shaw's exclusion justified

Delhi’s assistant coach Pravin Amre said that Prithvi Shaw’s exclusion from the last few games was justified considering how well Abishek Porel seized the opportunity. Shaw, who played eight matches, scored 198 runs at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of 163.63, and registered one half century. 

"He [Shaw] was our retained played, and as you see, last four [of five] games he was also on the bench. But that's the Ind T20 League," Amre said after DEL's 19-run win over Lucknow in their last league game of the season. "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.

"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."

Shaw didn’t get a chance to play the first two games of the season, but scored a quickfire 43 in his very first outing against the reigning champions Chennai. He struck a 40 ball 66 against Mumnai but his form fell off after that. Porel, on the other hand, scored 327 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 159.51.  The southpaw smashed 58 off 33 balls on Tuesday against Lucknow, as he stitched a 92 run stand with Shai Hope for the second wicket. 

“What an innings [Porel] played today," Amre said. "We saw Jake [Fraser-McGurk] getting out in the first over and even then we managed to get 73 runs in the powerplay. I think that's what was so critical and the credit goes to Shai Hope and Porel for getting that 92-run partnership today."

Frazer McGurk was dismissed in the second legal delivery of the match, but Porel gave Delhi the much needed momentum. He scored 19 of the 21 runs that came in the third over and then bludgeoned two maximums and a four in the sixth, and notched up his half century, off 21 balls, soon after. 

In the three fixtures Porel played as an opening batter, he scored 159 runs at a healthy strike rate of 165.62. Both his 50s also came at the top of the order.