over the years, Vijay Shankar He remains one of the most talked about yet misunderstood cricketers in Indian cricket. From being labeled a ‘3D player’ to battling injuries, criticism and constant scrutiny during the 2019 World Cup, Tamil Nadu An all-rounder’s career rarely progresses without noise.But as Shankar Indians walk away from domestic cricket. IPLThere is a slight bitterness in his voice. Instead, there is acceptance, gratitude and quiet pride in a journey that saw him represent India, win titles with Tamil Nadu and embark on a long IPL career with multiple franchises.In an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com after announcing his retirement, Shankar reflected on the emotional decision to step away, the injuries that changed his career, dealing with public criticism, his love for all-round cricket and why he still wants to continue playing overseas leagues.Quotes:After announcing your retirement from IPL and domestic cricket, what was your first emotion when you posted that note?My first impression was that this was something that started a long time ago, and to suddenly feel like it was coming to an end felt a little strange. It’s hard to put into words, but it definitely felt a little weird. yes [it was emotional]but sometimes you need to take that call at some point in your career.What made you make this decision?In the last few years of Ranji TrophyI continued to perform well and had good seasons. But I realized that my motivation was always tied to playing at a high level. In my entire career I have never played the Dileep Trophy, not even once.IPL was also a motivation, but I was not selected that year. I realized that it was my dream to play domestic cricket and the Ranji Trophy, and my Ranji season was also very good.Throughout my career I played everywhere in the batting order. I batted up and down the order and in different positions, but despite all that I managed to score good numbers. I always tried to give my best for the team.You played domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu for 13 years. How has domestic cricket shaped you?As far as I am concerned, domestic cricket is very important. You will get to experience a lot of quality bowling and play against quality players. It is the best place to hone the talent of the Indian team.As captain, he won three trophies for Tamil Nadu: Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Deodhar Trophy. Since these three were different formats, did your leadership style change in them?I just felt that I had to do my job first – that was the most important thing. I also had to be ready to do whatever the team needed at that particular moment, regardless of individual goals.As a player, I’ve always thought more about what the team needs than what I need personally. Had I focused on personal milestones, I might have ended my career with higher numbers. But I always wanted to do well for the team.Captaincy really brought out the best in me. You take responsibility, raise your hand when the going gets tough, support your players, talk to them, and give them comfort and confidence. All those things were very special.
Vijaya Shankar Household Statistics
You were an all-rounder while also captaining the team. How difficult is it when you have to bat, bowl, field, and lead the team?Well, it was beautiful. As an all-rounder, the best part is that you are involved in the whole game. It is not like you bat and then stand somewhere while fielding. You are constantly involved, and I always enjoy that.With captaincy, the key was knowing when to use yourself. Sometimes you can’t overdo things, and sometimes you can underbow yourself or move yourself down the batting order. It was very important for me to understand these conditions. It brought out the best in me.You entered the Indian team as an all-rounder. Did you face challenges early in your career, especially with someone like you? Hardik Pandya Are you on the team? Were there any comparisons or differences between the characters?Whoever I have acted with, at the end of the day, whatever role I get, I have to be ready for it.I also batted in different positions in the Indian team. I had to bowl whenever I needed to, and I had to do it when the team needed me to deliver. I always prepared myself for it. It is not that I bowled in every match.Have you ever wondered how different your career would have been without those injuries, especially during this phase?I had a lot of injuries, especially when I was younger. From the age of 25 until I was about 31 or 32 I had a lot of injuries.I’ve thought about it, but it’s really hard to change these things after all. I think everything is part of a journey, and you learn a lot from every moment of your career.I have no regrets. I am very proud of the way I played my cricket.This game has taught me everything. He taught me how to live my life. I am forever grateful for that.
Vijaya Shankar International Statistics
You played for four IPL franchises – DC, SRH, CSK, and GT. You also played under different captains. Which team gave you the best environment and allowed you to play natural cricket?It’s a very difficult question to answer because every phase of my career was different, and every team was different.You won two IPL titles with Sunrisers Hyderabad and one with Gujarat Titans. Was any experience more special than the others?It is very difficult to pick one as the best. After all, I learned a lot from all these franchises.There too my batting position kept changing. But I was able to find ways to do well. I looked for ways to score runs in different batting positions.If you look at the numbers, my IPL average would be around 130 with a strike rate of around 25 or 26. But people don’t always realize how many different batting positions I’ve played throughout my career.In my last season with CSK as well, I played five matches and batted at Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7. In five matches, I batted in four different positions.Same thing happened with Gujarat. Whatever the condition or situation, my job was to keep going and do the best I could.Do you have a favorite moment from your IPL career that looks back on?Definitely lifting the trophy. It’s very, very special. With Gujarat and also with Sunrisers Hyderabad.Although I didn’t play a single game for SRH initially, I remember fielding as a substitute in about 13 or 14 of the 17 matches. I went in as a substitute fielder and tried to make a difference through catches and fielding efforts.I think that helped me get the opportunity much earlier and eventually helped me make my debut for SRH.
Vijay Shukhar IPL Stats
When you were drafted for the 2019 World Cup, you were labeled a ‘3D player’. Now that you’re retired and considering your career, does that tag still follow you?It’s a very small world, so it will definitely follow me.Whether it’s in a good way or a bad way, I really don’t know. In the beginning I used to tell myself that I should avoid social media and learn to ignore certain things.But what I’ve learned now is that you have to learn to live with it. Such are the situations.People have many opinions these days. They can say whatever they want.At the end of the day, as cricketers, we have been playing for 10 to 15 years. It’s a long career. You need to keep fighting. No matter what, you wake up the next day, train hard, and get ready for the next step.It’s the only thing you can do. Whatever happens in between, you just have to go through it.Looking at Indian cricket today, teams are always looking for all-rounders. But with the impact player rule in the IPL, specialist batsmen and bowlers are often preferred. Do you think the demand for all-rounders has decreased because of this rule?No, I still think you can look at it two ways.One way is because your role is diminished by the impact player principle. But on the other hand, if you want to play for your country and be the best, you have to find a way to be the best batsman and the best bowler.That’s how you should see it.IPL is a great platform. If you perform well, you will be noticed and you can move to the next level. A good game or two can give you a lot of confidence.But then you go back to domestic cricket and continue to grind. You keep training and developing yourself with both bat and ball.All I would say is that you can keep making excuses, or you can focus on becoming better at both batting and bowling.What is your opinion? Vaibhav Suryavanshi? He is only 15 years old and already making headlines everywhere.He is truly incredible. The way he is batting is extraordinary and very impressive as he proves that age is just a number.Especially in India, people often feel that once you turn 30, 31, or 32, you are nearing the end of your career. In other countries, players are often considered more valuable at this age because of their experience.India has so much talent, which makes the competition very tough.Someone like him is really impressive because it’s not like he’s just playing a good innings here and there. At four or five out of ten, he’s consistently performing, which is incredible for someone his age.And he is doing it against the best bowlers.If he can hit the bowlers. Jasprit BumrahBhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewoodand another for sixes off the first ball, then you have to give him credit.I wish him all the best as he is batting beautifully. I just hope he keeps it up.In your retirement note, you mentioned your desire to pursue new opportunities and continue playing cricket. What exactly does this mean?If I get opportunities to play in leagues abroad, I would like to explore them.I think it will be a great opportunity because I am still playing very good cricket in Chennai, and I had a good domestic season last year as well.If I can find new experiences, that will be great for me because, at the end of the day, it’s all about becoming a better cricketer.You learn and look to improve every day.Even when I eventually stop playing cricket altogether, be it coaching or something else, I will still need to learn and improve.It is a never-ending process, and I will continue it.Would you consider coaching, commentary, mentoring, or even franchise management in the future?Of course. I love coaching, so after a few years, I would definitely like to go into coaching.A message for your loved ones?To my fans, thank you so much for always being there.I wrote in my retirement note that I faced a lot of hate and criticism throughout my career. But I also had a lot of wonderful fans who supported me a lot.So thank you very much for that.And I will continue to play cricket. I like to play cricket. This is my life, so I will continue to play cricket.
