Birthday special: Vijay Shankar – A talented all-rounder who has fallen off the radar
The word “3D” was trending during the 2019 ODI World Cup. The Indian selectors felt that a certain Vijay Shankar was a 3-Dimensional player and they selected him ahead of Ambati Rayudu, and Rayudu was certainly not happy with it.
In fact, chief selector MSK Prasad had opined that Shankar is useful with the willow if the conditions are overcast, and can contribute with the ball and on the field as well.
“We did give a few more chances to Rayudu but Vijay Shankar gives three dimensions. He can bat if the conditions are overcast, he can bowl, plus he is a fielder. We are looking at Vijay Shankar as a No. 4,” Prasad had said when asked about Shankar.
Rayudu was irked by this snub and had even tweeted about ordering 3D glasses to watch the World Cup. Shankar scored 58 runs in the three innings that he batted in the tournament, and scored his runs at an average of 29.00. He also picked up two wickets with the ball. Well, that was the last that we saw of Shankar in the international arena.
He was talented, he was a batter who could hit the ball a long way and also scalp crucial wickets and break partnerships. However, his career never took off. Shankar has played just 12 ODIs and nine T20Is for the Indian side and has never managed to stake a claim for a permanent place in the side.
He has a lot of experience at the first-class level. He has scored over 2200 runs in 45 first-class matches at an average of close to 45. In List A Cricket the right-hander has amassed 2316 runs at a strike rate in excess of 90. He has also played over 100 T20 domestic matches and has plundered 1714 runs at a strike rate of over 125.
He has also played 47 IPL matches and has scored 712 runs at a strike rate of 126.24. Shankar is a talented cricketer and there is no question on that. But then, a permanent place in the Indian side always eluded him.
Shankar is over 30 years old, and it might be tough for him to stake a claim for a place in the side now, especially when the Indian side is filled with a number of options in every department of the game. As the Indian cricketer turns 31 today, here is wishing him a very happy birthday.
