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'It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly and timing the ball so nicely.'
Delhi Capitals opening batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw sealed the deal for their team with a partnership of 138 runs in their opening match of IPL 2021 against Chennai Super Kings at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Dhawan played a blistering knock of 85 runs from 54 balls, while Shaw smashed 72 runs off 38 balls to help Delhi Capitals defeat the Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets.
Senior pro Dhawan was delighted with his young opening partner Shaw's smashing comeback with the bat in the IPL opening match.
"It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly and timing the ball so nicely. He went through a bad patch earlier and has come back as a champion. He did so well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored so many centuries and a double century as well. And now, he has brought the same form in IPL. I am so happy to see him perform that well," the left-hander said.
Last year, Shaw was dropped from Delhi Capitals playing eleven after a string of low scores in the UAE and also omitted from India's Test squad after scoring 0 and 4 in the first Test in Adelaide.
After working on his technique, Shaw returned to amass a whopping 827 runs in eight matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Dhawan said a comprehensive victory in their first match of the season is a huge confidence booster for the team.
"Starting a season on such a high note increases the team's confidence tremendously. There's a positive vibe in the dressing room now. We prepared well for the match and everything fell into place nicely. I am very happy with the team's and my own performance. Looking forward to the next game."
Dhawan was also all praise for his skipper Rishabh Pant, who started off with a win in his first match as captain in the IPL.
"We are missing Shreyas Iyer, and I am glad that his surgery went well. But I am very happy for Rishabh Pant. He is a young Captain and it's a great thing that he has got a win in his first match as Captain. He was very calm and composed while leading the side. He made good changes as well and I am sure that with experience, he's only going to get more refined," said the opener.