Shaw, now 25, has had a rough few years since his dream Test debut, become a centurion at 18 years, the second-youngest behind Sachin Tendulkar for India. Having led India to the U19 World Cup earlier that year, Shaw – a batting sensation through school and age-group cricket – was widely considered to be India's batting future.

In the 2025 IPL auction, he did not find any takers, though there is a chance of him being acquired later in the day. The decision could be because of a mix of issues:

Inconsistent performances

Shaw has played for one team throughout his IPL career – Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals). In his debut season, he became the joint-youngest half-centurion in all IPL, finishing with a hugely impressive strike rate of 153.

Across the next two season, the strike rate went down to 134 and 137. By 2020, the Capitals seemed keen on exploring other opening options too, replacing him with Ajinkya Rahane briefly. At that time, head coach Ricky Ponting strangely revealed that when Shaw was not scoring runs, he refused to bat in the nets.

Soon after, Shaw lost his place in the India side, briefly making a comeback in 2021. He found form in IPL 2022, but the numbers dwindled again the following year (106 runs at 13.25, SR 125). Last year, he was dropped midway through the season. DC assistant coach Pravin Amre explained: "If you are not in form, you can't keep your place". After being let go this year, the Capitals did not seem to be interested in bringing him back. Months later, he smashed 244 from 153 balls for Northamptonshire in the One-Day Cup.

More recently, he scored 343 runs at 42.87, striking at 118 in the 2024 One-Day Cup, but managed just one fifty in 11 first-class innings since. A day ahead of the auction, he returned to Mumbai for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 33 off 22 when Shreyas Iyer smashed a 57-ball 130.

As always though, the problems with Shaw haven't just been about his runs.

Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer have become the first players sold for more than 25cr INR (c. £2.36 million) in IPL history.

Follow our live blog covering the auction: https://t.co/cFk09gJMgH pic.twitter.com/gxWkiu3nHo

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 24, 2024

Fitness and controversies

In the last few years, Shaw has struggled with his fitness too. In 2020, he suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to miss part of the New Zealand tour. He failed a yo-yo test ahead of the 2022 IPL, failing to meet the required score of 16.5 (he scored less than 15). By the following year, there was a marked weight gain too, for which he was attacked on social media. In an interview with Wisden in 2022, he revealed the immense public scrutiny had severely affected his mental health.

A knee injury during the County Championship last year saw him miss the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's domestic T20 competition. This year, he was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji squad due to fitness and general conduct, with an MCA official saying he appeared "a little overweight". Close to the auction, this couldn't have been good news for Shaw.

Given his wavering fitness standards, it seems like franchises wouldn't want to trust him with a full IPL season.

Shaw has never been far from controversy. From being suspended for using a banned substance to alleged misconduct in the dressing room, and even faking an injury – Shaw has been accused of it. Earlier this year, he was dropped from the Mumbai squad for fitness and general conduct.

Ponting recently indicated that he might have given up on Shaw: "'Got to look at other players. There's only so many times you can try". It looked certain that the Punjab Kings, which Ponting recently joined, wouldn't have bid for him at least.

Shaw placed himself at INR 75 lakh, which can be considered low for an India international who has regularly played in the IPL. However, it just seems like teams are happy to look elsewhere to bolster their batting.

It's another blow to a stuttering career that once looked extremely promising.

Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.