Today I was absolutely delighted to watch the 18 year old Indian Opener Prithvi Shaw make a hundred on debut. He seems to be a typical product of the Mumbai school of batting, perhaps the next in the line of Gavaskar & Tendulkar. But it is too early to predict that.
His story is a stuff for Bollywood movie. His mother died when he was just 4 years old. His father is a autorickshaw driver who has made huge sacrifices so that Prithvi can make it big in Cricket. He seems to be an amazingly focussed and mature young man for his age. Father & son have a deep bond.
In 2013 he scored 546 runs in an innings in School cricket in Mumbai...this is a record of some sort. He has a lot of records to his name now - a century on debut in Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy & now in Tests.
He seems to be really calm & compose at the crease. A very good temperament.
Has India found the next Tendulkar? Only time will tell but the boy seems to possess the qualities to be one. Hope he is able to fulfill his potential. Some next-tendulkars come to mind like Amol Majumdar who could never make it. Same was the case with Vinod Kambli. So much can go wrong as a boy prodigy develops.....there is only a rare Tendulkar who had humongous talent and actually achieved perhaps more that what was predicted when he was 14 yeras. Most others sadly lose their way.
I hope Prithvi follows the path to greatness he seems destined with single minded focus & determination.
