Indian cricketer Vijay Shankar has said that he is not thinking about a comeback to the Indian team as wants to enjoy playing cricket. The Sunrisers Hyderabad cricketer Shankar is also looking forward to his 100th T20 match during IPL 2021. Vijay Shankar last played for India during ICC ODI World Cup 2019 and remained out of the field for a long time due to injury.
After the 2019 ODI World Cup, Vijay Shankar has played only 1 match for Tamil Nadu during Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2020-21. Due to his injury, he spent a lot of time in recovery and rehabilitation. However, he is all set to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2021 and also on the verge of playing his 100th T20 match during IPL 2021.
Not Thinking About India Comeback, Says Vijay Shankar
Vijay Shankar said that he is not thinking about making a comeback to the national team and want to take things as they come.
“I’m not thinking about doing extraordinary stuff or making a comeback. It’s about enjoying myself. I started playing this game because I love it. If I enjoy the game and take things as they come, I think I will be in much better mental space,” the all-rounder said.
Speaking about playing his 100th T20 match in IPL 2021, Shankar said it will be a good thing for him after coming out of injuries.
“Actually, this number [100] was in my mind when I joined the Tamil Nadu team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January. I was thinking of playing my 100th T20 game, but then I totally forgot about it. I think most of my lows came around my injuries, which set me back in whatever I was working on, but I learnt how to come out of it and handle these situations.
“So, playing my 100th T20 game will definitely be a good thing for me. I think I’ve also played 90 [88] List A matches, so I thought I would get close to 100 in that as well,” the right-arm medium bowler said.
While playing for India in T20Is, Tamil Nadu at the domestic level, and teams like Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL, Shankar has played a total of 99 T20s so far. Vijay Shankar was part of the Indian team during ICC World Cup 2019 as a prominent all-rounder in the squad.
Vijay Shankar could not go big with the bat during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first game against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021. Shankar scored 11 runs off 7 balls before losing his wicket to Andre Russell. He also gave 14 runs in the only over he bowled as Sunrisers Hyderabad lost the match by 10 runs.