Vijay Shankar received widespread criticism for his failure to power-hit the ball under pressure after that famous Nidahasa Trophy final last year.
While Dinesh Karthik ensured an amazing victory for India, the fan base didn't forget how the Tamil Nadu all-rounder couldn't give the strike back to his experienced batting partner in the over bowled by Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.
It surely would've made Shankar doubt his ability but thankfully he had Rahul Dravid for help during the difficult phase. The former Indian captain restored faith in the 28-year-old when he was part of India A's recent tour of New Zealand, especially with regards to his ability to go big in the closing stages of an innings.
The invaluable guidance paid off huge dividends as Shankar played an outstanding knock of 87 in one of the wins while chasing a stiff target of 307 in a 50-over match.
"I had lost a bit of confidence batting in limited-over matches, after the Nidahas Trophy final," he told The Indian Express, "But he [Dravid] put me at ease, told me that I have the shots and temperament to be a finisher. And he told me that he’ll send me at No 5, which he did in the first match [vs New Zealand A], when we were chasing around 300."
"I scored an unbeaten 87 and we won the match. The innings really cleared the self-doubts, and in the next match, I scored a 59 in another chase of 300. Now I’m very confident about my batting in limited-over matches. I have better situational awareness and clarity of mind."
Shankar was then picked for the limited-overs tour of Australia and New Zealand and after performances which truly reflected his potential there, he is now a part of India's plans for this year's ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.
"The first time I met Rahul sir was before a TNCA club match (for Vijay CC) in Chennai in 2012, he was then my idol and I was so nervous that I literally froze in the dressing room," he further said.
"Two days later, we were batting together in the middle and like all youngsters, I wanted to impress him. So I played a couple of extravagant strokes, and he immediately advised me: ‘We have plenty of time, so pace your innings and I want you to finish the innings.’"
