‘Dad always played a very important role in my life; my dream of cricket was his, too’

As the captain, I was feeling proud of each and every player in our [U19 World Cupwinning] team and even our supporting staff. It’s impossible for me to express my feelings. PRITHVI SHAW CRICKETER

No dates, no nightclubs, a little bit of music, and the occasional movie. Which 18-year-old has a personal life like that? Well, that would be Prithvi Shaw, whose top three leisure activities are: cricket, cricket, and cricket.

Prithvi led the Indian U-19 squad to a World Cup win in February, and has joined the Indian Premier League now. In his own words, “nothing must take the focus away from the game, come what may”. He tells us, “Cricket keeps me busy and I like it that way. But when I’m not [at practice or at a match], it’s the PS4 that I enjoy.” His PlayStation time is also devoted to cricket-based video games.

Music is a higher priority than movies. Prithvi says, “I like Arijit Singh and often listen to his tracks. I don’t get to watch a lot of films.” While he names Deepika Padukone as his favourite female star, among male heroes, he picks ... strangely, none from the present generation of leading men. “Govinda is my favourite actor — his comedy and dance is unique,” says the righthanded batsman. Asked if he enjoys dancing, Prithvi replies with a soft laugh, “I do, but I’m not a good dancer.”

Interestingly, the young cricketer had Instagrammed a hilarious dubsmash from Hera Pheri (2000) sometime back.

Being in such a popular sport, who’d be Prithvi’s hero? From what the player tells us, it’s someone off the field — it’s his father. Prithvi, who lost his mother when he was three, says, “Dad played a very important role in my life. I always wanted to play cricket and my dream was his, too.”

The family is from Thane, a district near Mumbai, and “dad used to travel with me everywhere I went [in Maharashtra] to play the game. In fact, he still does.”

Prithvi speaks of the discipline his father instilled in him and how they’ve been friends: “He used to encourage me to practise for hours every day. He has been a pillar of strength throughout. I feel blessed to be his child. These days, we both are caught up in our work, but whatever time we get with each other, we talk, eat out, and have fun.”

The culmination of all that the father-son worked on came at the ICC Under-19 World Cup, where India beat Australia. “As the captain, I was feeling proud of each and every player in our team and even our supporting staff. It’s impossible for me to express my feelings,” says Prithvi, who made his international debut this year. He adds that he idolises Sachin Tendulkar.

Concluding the interview on a lighter note, we ask with whom would he go on a dream date? After a pause, Prithvi says, “With my cricket kit!”

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES