Mumbai, Apr 12 (IANS): Delhi Capitals' (DC) Shikhar Dhawan expressed his happiness at seeing his opening partner Prithvi Shaw batting the way he did against Chennai Super Kings in their first match of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

"It was lovely to watch Prithvi bat so effortlessly and timing the ball so nicely. He went through a bad patch earlier and has come back as a champion," Dhawan said.

Shaw smashed 72 runs off 38 balls to help DC defeat the Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets. The 21-year-old had suffered a lean patch in the last season which led to him getting dropped from the team and even losing his place in the Indian Test setup. Shaw then turned it around in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year, in which he scored a record 827 runs, including a double century, to lead Mumbai to the title.

"He did so well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scored so many centuries and a double century as well. And now, he has brought the same form in IPL. I am so happy to see him perform that well," said Dhawan, who himself scored 85 runs off 52 balls against Chennai Super Kings.

Dhawan also praised Rishabh Pant's captaincy during the game. Pant, 23, is standing in as captain for the injured Shreyas Iyer.

"We are missing Shreyas Iyer, and I am glad that his surgery went well. But I am very happy for Rishabh Pant. He is a young Captain and it's a great thing that he has got a win in his first match as Captain. He was very calm and composed while leading the side. He made good changes as well and I am sure that with experience, he's only going to get more refined," said Dhawan.