There is pressure when people compare me to Sachin Tendulkar, admits Prithvi Shaw

If you’re a kid who is tearing up the domestic circuit at 16 years of age and also someone who happens to hail from Mumbai, comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar are going to be inevitable. Unsurprisingly, Shaw was all over the internet by the time he was 17 and soon, there was a barrage of people online hailing the youngster the next Sachin, due to his striking resemblance with the Master Blaster in several aspects. 

Speaking on Instagram Live, 20-year-old Shaw admitted that he does feel pressurized at times by the Sachin comparison, but added that he saw it as a challenge and found himself privileged to be compared with the ‘God of Cricket’. 

"There is pressure when people compare me to him. But I take it as a challenge. I try to play like him. He is the God of cricket,” said Shaw on Instagram Live, reported Times of India.

Being a Mumbaikar himself, Shaw got the privilege of meeting and spending time with Sachin from a very young age and the 20-year-old thanked the Little Master for mentoring him and having an immeasurable impact on his career. Shaw revealed how Sachin also helped him make a few technical tweaks to his batting, something that impacted the youngster’s batting positively. 

"He (Sachin) has had a big influence on me. I first met him when I was eight. He always tells me to play my natural game and according to the situation. Off the field also, he asked me to stay calm.

I am bottom-hand player and Sachin sir had asked me not to change my grip. I was young and I used to change my grip as per coaches' advice. But after Sachin sir told me, I did not change my grip."

Furthermore, Shaw was also full of praise for the now-BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, who was once the mentor of the Mumbai opener in the Delhi Capitals franchise.

"There have been experiences to be honest and he helped a lot as he knew how to motivate youngsters in the team. It was great,” said Shaw on his time with the former Indian skipper.