Team Believe I Can Do The Job, That Matters: Vijay Shankar

New Delhi: All-rounder Vijay Shankar being picked as India’s No.4 batsman for the World Cup saw the birth of the biggest debate to engulf Indian cricket in recent times. Former cricketers and pundits have had their say and many believe that Ambati Rayudu or Rishabh Pant would have been a better option. But then, the five wise men — national selectors — clearly thought otherwise when they felt that Shankar fits the bill.

Interestingly, criticism and Shankar have a history. They go hand-in-hand, to be honest. Not many cricket fans in the country would have forgotten the all-rounder’s struggle against Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy and the hate reaction that followed on social media after Shankar struggled with the bat during India’s chase and ended with a 19-ball 17. Even though India won the game, Shankar was made to relive the horror of his innings again and again by media and fans. But every dark cloud has a silver lining.

Speaking to IANS, Vijay Shankar said that it was a life lesson and one that made him a stronger human being who realized the importance of enjoying the moment and not putting too much pressure on himself on the cricket field. In fact, he also says that not many realized that it was just his first outing with the bat as an India player.

“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.

“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.

“But on the hindsight, it taught me how to come out of that, learned how to handle situations. That incident showed me that one bad day isn’t the end of the world. It hasn’t happened only to me, has happened to many top players over the years.

“The best thing is that it happened on my first outing with the bat. I had bowled in the series, but that was the first time I went in to bat. I didn’t realize what happened right then, but that was a life lesson. It taught me to enjoy every moment as things as such episodes are temporary and I must focus on giving my 100 percent,” he explained.

Coming back to the much-debated batting slot in the World Cup, Vijay Shankar has learned to de-stress and not get bothered by what is being said around him. For him, it is the team management that counts. (IANS)

Also Read: SPORTS NEWS