Vijay Shankar’s recent uptick in form and fortune is testimony that it is never too late to stop believing. At 32, after having played at the highest level with varying degrees of success, that includes being part of India’s World Cup team in 2019, he is brimming with excitement at the thought of playing his 100th List A match when Tamil Nadu takes on Haryana in the semifinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Rajkot on Wednesday.
“Next game will be my 100th List A, which is a very special thing for me,” Vijay said after scoring his first fifty of the tournament in a winning cause against Mumbai in the quarterfinal.
LIVE SCORE | Tamil Nadu vs Haryana Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 Semifinal
After failing to firmly establish himself in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since his debut in 2014, Vijay had a breakout IPL 2023 with Gujarat Titans, scoring 301 runs at a whopping strike rate of over 160. That prolific season came on the back of three back-to-back hundreds in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, his most impressive First-Class campaign since 2014-15.
Despite these returns, Vijay was not part of any of the zonal squads on the domestic circuit. But he seems to have found a mantra to manage these setbacks and ‘move on’.
“I had a lovely domestic season last year. I got three back-to-back hundreds. I had a good IPL. But I was not part of any Duleep Trophy or Deodhar Trophy. I was disappointed but the hunger to play cricket is the only drive that I have. You need to keep pushing yourself to do the right things. It might be boring at times, thinking that you are putting all the effort without seeing the results,” Vijay told Sportstar.
For someone who trains hard, lays emphasis on work ethics and has unlocked his fittest version with his most youthful days behind him, Vijay is astonishingly swift in treating triumph and disaster with equanimity.
“If it happens, feel happy about it, learn from it, but move on. If it doesn’t happen, learn from it and move on,” he says with disarming nonchalance.
But his ease of outlook has no bearing on his methods. On Tuesday, he was among a handful of Tamil Nadu cricketers who attended an optional training session and diligently went about extensive batting and bowling sessions. He also had lengthy discussions with national selectors Sridharan Sharath and Subroto Banerjee.
“I have been working a lot on my bowling. There isn’t a single session where I have not bowled in the nets. Every single day I have bowled at least four to five overs. I have made it a point because you never know when you will get to bowl. I believe in my work ethics and that has brought me here. Just because I am not bowling in matches, I cannot leave out my bowling,” Vijay had said after bowling a tight spell in the quarterfinal with his medium pace.
Tamil Nadu has largely relied on spin across formats and Vijay said his role mainly revolves around giving control in the middle overs when the ball isn’t turning much initially.
Though Vijay seems to have made peace with whatever lies ahead, he says that belief goes a long way in turning a player’s fortunes around.
Vijay Shankar in action during Tamil Nadu’s Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal against Mumbai in Rajkot. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji/The Hindu
Though his retention by Gujarat Titans ahead of the December 19 IPL auction was along expected lines, Vijay says that the franchise retaining him after the 2022 season gave him a lot of confidence.
“Despite the season I had in the previous year, they retained and played me in the first game in 2023. That confidence from the team is very important. Even here [Vijay Hazare Trophy], a few of us didn’t have a great first half, but the team [Tamil Nadu] still backed us and believed in our ability. That is why we were able to do well.”
Vijay also credited Gujarat Titans head coach Gary Kirsten’s guidance for helping him after a poor IPL 2022, where he managed just 19 runs in four matches before being ruled out due to a shoulder injury, which needed surgery and kept him out of action for six months.
“I tweaked my bat lift and stance. It felt very good because I worked for it, and it happened. Gary Kirsten asked me to try something new. A week or 10 days before IPL [2023], he asked me to try different things and when I started hitting the ball really well, I started enjoying myself. I used to bat an hour and a half or even more in the nets. When you practice so much, in the match, that practice will sometimes take over everything,” Vijay said, while not forgetting to mention his childhood coach S. Balaji, with whom he has worked since the age of 15.
Vijay acknowledges that Hardik Pandya’s absence at Gujarat Titans will be a big shoe to fill and says he is awaiting what will be an ‘interesting’ time under Shubman Gill’s leadership.
“Under Shubman, it is going to be very interesting. He is a terrific player and if he leads by example, it will be really good for him, the team and everyone else. I am sure we are going to have a lovely time because the management and support staff are all lovely. It is the beauty of that team,” he added.
Though Vijay’s batting alone is enough for him to find a place in Titans’ playing eleven, the all-rounder is also keen on being given the ball at some point in the tournament. He acknowledges that the Impact Player rule has taken his kind out of the equation but also warns youngsters against becoming unidimensional cricketers.
“The Impact Player rule has taken the all-rounders’ game away. But I will take it as a challenge to get better. If I am the best, the ball will come to me automatically. I need to push myself to that level, where I am the best and the team needs me to bowl.
I played for the country because I did well with bat and ball for India A. They considered me as an all-rounder. My only Man-of-the-Match [award] in international cricket is because of my bowling,” he says with a chuckle, referring to his two for 32 against Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy in 2018.
India’s hero from that tournament, Dinesh Karthik, is now tasked with reviving Tamil Nadu’s legacy and Vijay is hopeful about ending the state’s six-year 50-over title drought under the former’s leadership.
“We last won the Vijay Hazare Trophy under my captaincy, in 2016-17, and we lost a final in 2022 in my captaincy. I hope we win this Vijay Hazare under DK’s captaincy. The team’s vibe is outstanding,” he said.
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