Indian cricketer Vijay Shankar takes final batting blues in stride

Just five matches into his India career, and Vijay Shankar was thrust into the deep end, against Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy.

Indian cricketer Vijay Shankar | AP

CHENNAI: Just five matches into his India career, and Vijay Shankar was thrust into the deep end, against Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy. He came in to bat in the 14th over, with the asking rate nearly 11. What transpired was not what the 27-year-old had been preparing for. He ended up with a 19-ball 17, managing only 1 run off 5 balls in the 18th over against Mustafizur Rahman.

Vijay would have been immensely relieved to see fellow Tamil Nadu batsman Dinesh Karthik take India over the line in the end. Taking all that in his stride, self-improvement is now the pace-bowling all-rounder sole focus.“My batting debut did not go as I had planned. I had been practising during nets expecting myself to get a chance only at the death. But for some reason or the other, things did not work out. My main takeaway is the fact that I need to keep on improving, and the results will follow,” Vijay told Express.

“I have been a part of the India set-up for some time now. And the experience in Sri Lanka has been challenging, to say the least. I bowled well in spurts. My figures could have been better but for the dropped catches. But I don’t blame anyone.”Vijay’s mental fortitude would have been put to test after the summit clash as social media went into meltdown, with Vijay facing a constant barrage of criticism.

“Trolling and abuses are something that has become part and parcel of an athlete’s life. You have to get used to it. After my Man Of The Match display against Bangladesh (on March 8), there was a lot of praise. I expected backlash after the final. I have been trying to take things in my stride.”

‘Disappointment’ is a word that Vijay keeps using while speaking. It is quite evident that the Tirunelveli-born player is in the process of getting over this phase. “I have a tendency of scrutinising what goes wrong; analysing in my head what I could have done differently. The best thing was that after the match, the entire team came up to me, told me to forget what had happened, and move on. I have been trying that, and my parents and close friends have really helped me.”

Vijay feels that the best way to move ahead is to get right back on the horse and try again. He is set to leave for Delhi next week to take part in the Delhi Daredevils camp. He had played his part during the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run to the Eliminator last time around, and having been bought this time for `3.2 crore, he knows expectations are bound to be high.

“I can’t wait to go back into the groove of things and start playing. If I perform well there, it will help me get over the disappointment. My only goal is to help my new franchise win games, and hopefully lift the crown at the end of it.”

ayantan@newindianexpress.com