Vijay Shankar talks about his journey to scoring a crucial 100 against Mumbai in the recent Ranji Trophy after being trolled after his World Cup debut.
Vijay Shankar vividly remembers that afternoon in Bangalore a few months ago.
He attended the National Cricket Academy and was in a rehabilitation programme. Then VVS Laxman approached him and gave him a long, heartfelt story.
As head of the NCA, it was his Laxman duty to oversee his level of fitness for every individual cricketer in the academy. After knowing Vijay for quite some time, Laxman said:
“You are very talented, but something is missing. I need to calm down and figure out what I’m missing. “
At that time, the all-rounder from Tamil Nadu was looking for answers. Over the next few days, Vijay found his Laxman on point. Something was really missing in his approach. “My strength is that I’ve always pushed through it, even when it’s been tough. But I’ve realized that I lack that hunger and can go with the flow,” Vijay told Sportster. rice field. They were difficult times for him. After suffering a shoulder injury shortly after the end of his Premier League season with the Indians, Vijay was sidelined for about seven months and found it difficult to cope with the events around him.
“It was hard to see people playing cricket after the surgery. He looks back at Mr. Vijay. While most of his teammates and close friends were busy competing in various tournaments, Vijay’s movements around the house were restricted. He was often depressed, lonely, and emotionally outbursts, but with the support of his family, he was able to overcome adversity.
“My family’s support helped me get through this stage. I now have a one-year-old baby… All things considered, I was able to do it,” he said. say. “Sometimes I think a long break brings out the best in you. It makes you stronger… My family has always been around me and has been my only support system. and just a few months ago there were a lot of questions about playing the Ranji Trophy etc. Proud to be back and being where I am and how I was able to use my time in rehab. I think,” said Vijay, adding:
“The National Cricket Academy coaches and physiotherapist have made a huge impact. Without their commitment, I would not have been ready so quickly.”
It took him seven months for Vijay to return to action and even before the start of the Ranji Trophy, he was unsure how the season would turn out. Before the match against Mumbai, Vijay scored 26 and 2 against Andorra followed by 52 against Delhi. But a big score was still a long way off.
Vijay, who turns 32 on January 26 of this year, kept believing in himself, focused on the process, and stood up when it mattered most.
On Friday at Brabourne Stadium, Vijay scored his first century of the season and his 103, along with Pradhosh Ranjan Paul 169, led Tamil Nadu to 548 in the second innings and set up a 212-run goal for Mumbai.
The game ended in a draw, but scoring a sixth top-flight 100 was a special moment for Vijay. “It’s really good to get 100 here in Mumbai where we had to save the game. It’s been a long time since I’ve scored 100. I’m in his 50s but 1 We missed a century,” he says.
“When I started playing top-flight cricket, I scored his first 500 pretty early on, but after that he only scored 50. I don’t know why. Maybe after that 100 you’ll get a lot more. ”
Vijay said he was pleased with the way he batted on the final day of the match and enjoyed it in the first innings when Tamil Nadu folded for 144. The timing was good, so I felt like I was able to hit it like I used to.
There were two heart-pounding moments. When Vijay turned 61, Siddharth was dropped from his Laut delivery to Mohit his Abasti as he was the third man. Vijay admits it was a “bad shot” at that point in the game.
“My awareness was bad. You have to put your team first when you play in these conditions. The jump was pretty variable. , it wasn’t right to take a chance in that situation,” he says. “As an older player who has played enough, I shouldn’t have. We would have canceled earlier, that’s the basic cricket mentality.”
So far Tamil Nadu have failed to win the tournament overall and their next match against Maharashtra, which starts in Pune on 10 January, will be crucial. “We have played very well so far and all our games ended in forced overs. So we played really good cricket. Maybe we can do that in the next three games, but I don’t know if we can qualify as a team and do well..” Vijay said.
When Vijay talks about dealing with difficult times, he makes it clear that dealing with his social media isn’t easy.
Vijay, who is often unfairly trolled on social media, understands that it is difficult to take things cautiously and move on.
He recalls when Ambati Rayudu’s “3D” tweet went viral in 2019. He snapped the Indian national team for the World Cup. In his tweet, Rayudu attacked former chief selector MSK Prasad with comments about all-rounder Vijay Shankar, who was called up to the World Cup squad before him.
At the time, Rayudu was India’s first choice for his No. 4 hitter, but the selectors were a surprise decision because Prasad felt he was a ‘3D’ all-rounder from Tamil, who is from Nadu. He included Vijay in his team player.
Vijay started 15 unbeaten against Pakistan and also picked up a wicket with the first ball. However, things have deteriorated since then and he contributed 29 and 14 against Afghanistan and the West Indies respectively before a toe injury ruled him out of the tournament.
Since then he has not been able to return to the Indian team.
But every time he looks back on his time, the 3D jive and social his constant trolling on his media haunts him. “At first it was very difficult. It’s very easy to say that these noises should be ignored, but it’s not possible. On social media, we tend to read whatever comes to mind. I have to say those days made me stronger,” he says.
“I have seen something happen to MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and all top players.People spare them.People appreciate when things are going well but difficult sometimes attack them violently. Those who have experienced it know how difficult it is. I started thinking about the best thing I could do without thinking about other things,” he says.
Vijay had no control over memes, but he was always supportive and believed in his work ethic. He continues to pursue the same. “Every time I go to work out, I make sure he’s 100 percent fit. I can’t bowl much right now, but when you see me in practice, you know I’m working on it too, because you never know when you’ll need it,” he says.
“As you know you may need to throw the ball against Maharashtra and score 5 to lead your team to victory so hopefully you are ready to throw longer spells. .My work ethic has made me where I am and I will continue to work on it.The end result doesn’t matter.”
Unlike many of his friends, Vijay doesn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. He just wants to focus and contribute to the team’s success. The Mumbai century boosted his confidence and hopes it will lead to more milestones.
Here’s what Vijay wants for his 2023. Full of unforgettable happy moments.