CWC 2019: "I am enjoying myself and don't put any pressure on myself", says Vijay Shankar

According to Vijay Shankar, the team management believes in him to do the job at No.4 in the upcoming World Cup

Vijay Shankar is currently practicing his bowling for the upcoming World Cup | Getty

The three-dimensional cricketer Vijay Shankar getting selected as India’s Number 4 batsman by the selectors for the upcoming World Cup in England started the debate in Indian cricket in recent times.

A lot of former cricketers and experts expressed their opinions about Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu being more suitable for the batting position compared to Shankar. This is not the first time Vijay Shankar is being criticized as not many cricket fans would have forgotten the 29-year-old’s struggle in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh where he managed to score only 17 runs off 19 balls while chasing.

While talking to IANS about the game, Shankar said, “I would definitely say the Nidahas Trophy was a life changing experience as a cricketer for me. It has been a year and everyone knows what happened and how difficult it was,” and further added, “I would have easily attended 50 phone calls from all over India. The press people kept calling me and asked me the same question. Even the social media and all was a little difficult for me, I felt a little disappointed and took me some time to get out of that zone.

When asked about being the No.4 batsman for India, the all-rounder said: “I am enjoying myself and don't put any pressure on myself. I like to read the situation and play accordingly. I give importance to work ethics and there is no shortcut. I had a decent run when I batted at No.3 in the T20 series in New Zealand. The most important thing is that the team management has shown trust in me and believes I can do the job. That gives you extra motivation.

Being an all-rounder in the team along with Hardik Pandya, comparisons are bound to happen between the two, when asked about that, Shankar said, “I have been working a lot on my bowling and I am someone who believes in keeping the process right. I feel that if the situation arises when the skipper hands me the ball, I should be confident that I can do the job and only then will that translate into performance. It is all about gaining in confidence with every given opportunity.

(Inputs from IANS)

 
 

By Swapnil Shireesh Javkhedkar - 15 May, 2019

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