Absolute cinema: Prithvi Shaw’s heartbreak in IPL 2026 mini-auction turns into glory as Delhi Capitals bring him home

Prithvi Shaw’s journey at the IPL 2026 mini-auction turned into ‘absolute cinema’. It was a true comeback story after back-to-back heartbreaks.

After being unsold twice, the former India opener finally found a lifeline. Delhi Capitals picked him up for his base price of ₹75 lakh in the final accelerated round.

Shaw’s name first came up in the initial set of players. But, no franchise showed interest. He was then recalled in the second accelerated round, only to be ignored again.

Shaw reportedly posted a short, emotional message in his Instagram Stories, “It’s OK.” The message had a ‘Broken Heart’ emoji and a ‘Hugging Face’ emoji. However, he later deleted it.

In a dramatic twist, Delhi Capitals stepped in during the last accelerated round. His former IPL franchise brought him back at the base price.

The move offered Shaw a rare second chance after missing out in the IPL 2025 mega-auction as well. Shaw shared DC’s Instagram post, featuring a photo of DC captain Axar Patel, with the caption, “Welcome back, Prithvi Shaw.”

“Back to my family,” Shaw wrote with a ‘Red Heart’ emoji.

Shaw’s highest score is 99 while he has hit 14 half-centuries. Throughout his IPL career, Shaw has played for DC only.

Shaw’s best phase came between 2018 and 2021. In 2021, he scored 479 runs at an average close to 32 and a strike rate above 159. He played a key role in Delhi Capitals’ strong season.

He has always been known for fast starts. He is celebrated for his high boundary count, with 238 fours and 61 sixes overall.

However, his form dipped after 2021. The 2023 season was particularly poor. The following year showed some recovery, but in limited matches.

Eventually, Prithvi Shaw remained unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. It was a major setback for the young batter. The rejection was attributed to his poor form, questionable fitness and disciplinary issues.