
Prithvi Shaw. (Photo source: Instagram/Prithvi Shaw and JioHotstar)
The IPL mini-auction 2026 witnessed the opening batter, Prithvi Shaw, going unsold twice before being secured by his former franchise, Delhi Capitals. Shaw’s brief emotional reaction on social media went viral before and after DC stepped in to secure him for INR 75 lakh.
Shaw entered the IPL 2026 auction after being released by Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2025 and missing the entire season. Despite a decent run in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 183 runs in seven matches at a strike rate above 160. His name was called early in the auction, but failed to attract any bidders. Even during the second accelerated round, Shaw was overlooked.
As Shaw went unsold after two rounds, the batter took to Instagram and posted an emotional story that read “It’s okay,” along with a heartbreak emoji and a hugging emoji. Moments later, however, he snapped the Delhi-based franchise.
In the final accelerated round, the last opportunity of the auction, Delhi Capitals brought Shaw back, snapping him up at his base price of INR 75 lakh. It marked a reunion seven seasons in the making, as Shaw had represented the franchise from 2018 to 2024. Once the deal was done, Shaw quickly deleted his earlier Instagram story and replaced it with another message, “Back to my family,” along with a red heart emoji.
Notably, the franchise had backed him since his teenage years, buying him for INR 1.2 crore in 2018 after India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph. In over 79 IPL matches, Shaw has scored 1,892 runs at a strike rate of 147.46. However, inconsistency, fitness concerns, and disciplinary issues saw his career lose momentum in recent seasons. On the domestic front, Shaw has switched from Mumbai to Maharashtra. While his national career has stopped, having last played for India in 2021.
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