Vijay Shankar on Sunday opened up on what made him ply his trade as a pace all-rounder. The Tamil Nadu-born spinner revealed that he was not able to break into his domestic side as a spinner and that prompted the change in role.
Vijay Shankar on what made him switch to medium-pace bowling
During an Instagram live session with Australia batter David Warner, Shankar revealed the reason behind switching to medium-pace bowling. Both the cricketers represent Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Warner had quizzed the Indian cricketer on what made him change his mind.
“I was not able to get into my domestic team when I was the spinner, I used to score runs but I did not manage to get into the side. Then I started bowling medium pace, and things really changed for me,” Shankar told Warner during the interactive Instagram session.
The decision to resort to medium-pace bowling led Shankar to play for India at the international stage. The 29-year-old has played 12 ODIs and nine matches in the shortest format. So far, the right-hand batsman has amassed 223 runs in coloured clothing.
Shankar was named in the Indian squad for the 2019 World Cup, courtesy his all-round skills. However, his last game for India turned out to be the one against West Indies in Manchester. He was sidelined due to an injury during the marquee event, and he hasn’t made a comeback yet.
Vijay Shankar had a mixed run for Team India:
A reputed name in the domestic circuit, Shankar made his debut playing for Tamil Nadu back in the year 2012. He went on to make his international debut in the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka in 2018. Shankar had to face a lot of flak for his underwhelming show in the finals against Bangladesh.
Fire-power with the bat makes him a vital cog in the middle order. He has scored over 2000 runs in first-class cricket. As for IPL, Shankar has amassed 557 runs and has turned out to be a good addition in the Sunrisers Hyderabad side.