An adaptable all-rounder

V. Ramnarayan

Vijay Shankar.

Medium pace all-rounder Vijay Shankar – Captain of the Tamil Nadu limited overs team – who was included in the India squad in the Test series against Sri Lanka last December, was bought by Delhi Daredevils in the recently concluded IPL auction for Rs. 3.2 crore.

A middle-order batsman, originally known for his patience, Vijay Shankar has blossomed into an aggressive batsman who can shift gears at will, as the situation demands. He made his Ranji Trophy debut at the age of 21 against Vidarbha in Nagpur, and scored 63 not out and took two wickets. He has been a key member of the Tamil Nadu team for some four years now. In 2015, he scored 577 runs at an average of 57.7 including 111, 82, 91, and 103 in the Ranji Trophy knockout round of matches.

Selected then for India A against Australia, he made an unbeaten half century on his debut. He also impressed against South Africa A. He was mostly in the reserves at Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, getting just a solitary game in three seasons. He was then bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2016 IPL auction.

Vijay Shankar acknowledges the mentorship he received from his coaches Chakradhar Rao and S Balaji who have played a constant role in shaping his career. State bowling coach L Balaji and chief coach WV Raman were both very good influences, as has been Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the present chief coach of the team.

The young all-rounder is known for his commitment and work ethic at every level of cricket. It is his exceptional consistency that has helped him stay in contention for higher honours all along, even though he has had numerous injury problems. To his credit, he has fought his injuries to attain peak physical fitness.

His rehabilitation stints at the National Cricket Academy made him mentally and physically stronger.

Vijay Shankar who has five hundreds and ten fifties in first class cricket counts the guidance he has received from Rahul Dravid, the India ‘A’ coach, as a particularly positive influence on his cricket. While Dravid has words of praise for his cricket, the experience with India ‘A’ and the inspiration he has gained under Dravid’s wing helped Vijay grow into a competitive, reliable all-rounder. In this, his brilliant fielding has been a major factor.

Batting at different positions for India ‘A’ has made Vijay a more adaptable player, someone captains like to have in the eleven. In one-day matches, he usually bats in the middle order, and, therefore, lacks opportunities to play substantial innings. He more than makes up for this in the Ranji Trophy.

While his success in the IPL auction and being picked by Delhi Daredevils must help Vijay Shankar’s morale no end, he may find it very difficult to break into the Indian Test or one-day playing eleven, given the all-round strength of the team. Over the years, the 27-year-old has shown sufficient mental attributes to suggest that when the opportunity comes, he will not be found wanting.

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