Indian cricket boasts talented youngsters making rapid appearances, and very few are able to sustain a peak level performance for a prolonged period. Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan were considered to be the future of Indian batting. They immediately gained attention, received immense accolades, and were contracted in the IPL at a very young age. They are now struggling for a second chance before the mini-auction of IPL 2026 in Abu Dhabi. Prithvi Shaw: Journey from Virar Trains to IPL Crossroads Prithvi Shaw was auctioned for ₹1.2 crores to the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2018, which is six times higher than his base price of ₹20 lakhs. Just a short while ago, Prithvi Shaw had led India to an U-19 World Cup win, but both Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill were considered generation-changing players in their time. While Shubman Gill is currently the Indian captain, Prithvi Shaw is on a completely different trajectory. After getting his breakthrough in the IPL, he wore his regional badge with pride. He remembered how he used to travel every day from Virar to Churchgate on the Virar Fast local train for practice, with his father Pankaj accompanying him all along. He played for India and got a good start, but slowly, things went downhill for him. His performances, fitness levels, and discipline were a cause of worry. Cricket, as they say, is a great leveller. Losing focus is something that takes a toll on people most of the time. In the IPL 2025 mega auction, Shaw remained unsold. Very soon after, he was left out of Mumbai in domestic matches too. Only 26, and Shaw chose to give a fresh start with a transfer to Maharashtra. In the on-going Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, there have been some signs of revival for Shaw. He scored 183 runs in seven innings with a strike rate of 160.52. With the mini-auction of the Indian Premier League approaching, the major question is: will a player with such immense past promise get a chance? Also Read | 2 Indians and 15 overseas: Know the players registered with 1 crore base price Sarfaraz Khan: Fitness, Form, and a Fight Back Sarfaraz Khan’s biography takes a similar route. Highly rated for his batting abilities, Sarfaraz went unnoticed in the IPL mega auction last season. His international career inadvertently took a downturn in 2025. He went with the Indian Test side to Australia but did not get a single match. Later, he was left out of the Indian team for red-ball cricket. Instead of becoming disheartened, Sarfaraz opted to work even harder. During the off-season, he concentrated primarily on his fitness regime, curtailing 17 kilos of his weight and completely shifting his diet. Although this occurred, he was not a part of the India A team either. However, Sarfaraz has allowed his bat to speak louder in this year's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 28-year-old is in superb form, amassing 256 runs in six matches with an average of 64.00 and a strike rate of 182.85. His performance has put him in contention with other teams in search of a middle-order batsman in this IPL season. As the mini-auction for the IPL 2026 season draws near, teams might spot an opportunistic player in Sarfaraz, someone who is fit and eager to make a statement. Both Shaw and Sarfaraz are at a critical stage of their respective careers. They were considered sure-shot stars at one stage, but now they need a reversal of fortunes. Whether they will find this in the upcoming IPL auction only time will tell.