Shreyas Iyer believes that Prithvi Shaw, despite his sudden decline from a promising talent, has the potential to become greatness if he improves his training and preparation methods.  

Shaw's performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which Mumbai won under Iyer's leadership, revealed glimpses of his talent, despite scoring only 197 runs in nine matches without a half-century.

Shaw has recently gained notoriety for all the wrong reasons. Shaw was not included in the Mumbai squad for the first phase of the Ranji Trophy in October 2024.

The decision was widely seen as a subtle warning to Shaw, who has a history of disciplinary and fitness issues.

His problems worsened a month later when there were no takers for him at the IPL 2025 auction, despite having a base price of INR 75 lakhs and being offered twice.

Shaw, in the recent SMAT 2024, had only one impactful knock- a 26-ball 49 in Mumbai's quarterfinal chase against Vidarbha. He faltered in the final stages of the tournament, scoring just 8 and 10 in the last two matches, even as Mumbai clinched the title.

"I think personally he is a God gifted player. The amount of talent he possesses as an individual, no one has it. It's just that he needs to improve his work ethic. He needs to get his work ethic right. And if he does that, the sky's the limit for him,” Iyer remarked after Mumbai's 5-wicket triumph over Madhya Pradesh in the SMAT final.

Iyer stressed Shaw's responsibility for his own development, pointing out that external direction had limitations.

"We can't babysit anyone, right? He has played so much of cricket. Everyone has given him input. At the end of the day, it's his job to figure out things for himself. And he has also done it in the past. It's not that he hasn't.

He has to focus. He has to sit back and put a thinking cap on. He will get the answer by himself. No one can force him to do anything,” Iyer added.

Shreyas Iyer was also praised for Ajinkya Rahane, who was the leading run-getter in SMAT 2024. He amassed 469 runs at an average of 58.62 and a strike rate of 165.

"He is that sort of a character who will give 110% for the team. He started at number 4, where he knew that there were two openers. So, he sacrificed his position, and then after that when Surya came in, he became an opener. So he is a fantastic team man.

But irrespective, salute to him, the way he approached each and every game, match by match. I am a firm believer in someone who has a certain type of routine and he is one of them," he continued.

(PTI inputs)