Tamil Nadu’s Vijay Shankar was optimistic of a national call-up but being called for the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka came as a surprise for the all-rounder. Shankar was drafted into the Indian Test team as a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the remainder of the Test series.
“I am really excited (about the call-up). It has been a long-time dream of mine to be part of the Indian team. Now it has come true. My hard work has paid off. I was not expecting it but it feels great,” said Shankar. “I am looking forward to being part of the Indian dressing room for the first time,” he added.
The 26-year-old cricketer said that being a part of the India ‘A’ squad has proved beneficial for his growth as an all-rounder. “I have matured as a player and learnt to perform under different situations,” he said.
Shankar has been in good form with the bat in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season and slammed a hundred against Odisha. “I am happy with my batting form. I have been bowling well too and have bowled long spells. Getting four wickets against Mumbai has given me confidence,” he said.
In three Ranji matches, he has taken six wickets and has scored 118 runs for Tamil Nadu. When India ‘A’ faced South Africa ‘A’ in Pretoria in August Shankar scored 98 runs in three matches and went without a ticket in the series. Recently, against New Zealand ‘A’ in October, Shankar scored 110 runs in three matches and picked up one wicket.
Having overcome a series of injuries, which forced him to miss matches and ‘A’ tours in the past, Shankar is now eager to prove his worth. The all-rounder, who led Tamil Nadu to triumphs in the Deodhar Trophy and Syed Musthaq Ali Trophy last season, said he had worked hard on his fitness.
“I was frustrated to miss matches, but worked hard on my fitness. I was in rehab at the NCA with the physios and trainers there. It has made me stronger,” he said.
Shankar, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said working with Tamil Nadu bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji helped his bowling.
His family members were delighted to see him earn a call to the Test team and his brother Ajay, who plays in the TNCA League, said Vijay Shankar’s hard work and perseverance has paid off.
“We are excited to see him representing the country. Making a debut is a big and a very special time for us. He worked a lot for this,” said Ajay. “Vijay (Shankar) put in a lot of hard work and his efforts made him return stronger and earn a spot in the ‘A’ team.”
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