All-rounder Vijay Shankar starred with the bat in Gujarat Titans’ (GT) seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 39 of IPL 2023 at the Eden Gardens on Saturday (April 29).
Chasing 180 to win, GT needed 68 runs in the final six overs of the match and Shankar made the mockery of KKR bowlers, slamming 51* off 24 balls to take the defending champions over the line with 13 deliveries to spare.
With this victory, the Titans reclaimed the top spot on the points table featuring 10 teams. It was their sixth win in eight games this season.
Speaking after the game, Shankar credited skipper Hardik Pandya for GT’s consistency in the current IPL season.
“Hardik is really aggressive. He wants to find a way to come out good in difficult situations. He always wants to do it for the team. He takes the new ball. He has delivered it when we needed the wicket of Rohit Sharma against Mumbai Indians,” Vijay Shankar said in the post-match press conference.
“He (Hardik) got a 66 on a difficult wicket against LSG. He is taking up a lot of responsibility. That’s the best thing to do. When you are captain you have to show the team that this is how it is done. That is why all the other players are really trusting him and doing whatever the team asks us to do.”
GT have been successful in clinching close games and Vijay credited it to their tough training regime.
“The amount of practice we do as a team is unbelievable, every individual in our team practices so hard. We do it harsh and harsh.
“We find ways to come out good in difficult situations. There will be difficult situations be in IPL or any T20 match. It’s about communicating well.
Vijay Shankar has been impressive in this year’s IPL but he doesn’t want to talk about his India comeback, having played for the country during the 2019 World Cup last time.
“It’s too far for me. Mentally I’m really not thinking about that. If I can win matches for my team that’s the only satisfaction I can take from every game. “I’ll be really happy to contribute to my team’s wins. Cricket is something we love, that’s why we still continue playing. No expectations, I just wanted to enjoy my cricket,” he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
