Vijay Shankar has become a genuine contender for a spot in the World Cup squad after his impressive display in New Zealand. He is competing with Hardik Pandya to grab the number one all-rounders tag. Despite their competition, he has developed a good rapport with Hardik.
While Hardik is considered to be more lethal in the limited-overs cricket, Vijay Shankar has given a good headache to team management with some impressive performances in the recently concluded T20 series in New Zealand.
“When we were playing together in New Zealand, we had a lot of discussion. We were even sharing ideas on the field as to how to bowl during different situations. We often talk about the lines and lengths that can be effective to different batsmen,” Shankar told indiatoday.in in an exclusive chat.
“I think from the outside, we’re being looked at as competitors, but from the team’s point of view, we share a very good rapport.”
According to him, he is not thinking about the World Cup spot yet and his whole focus is on the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia.
“Personally, I have not given any thought about the World Cup. There’s still a long way to go for it. I have a lot of other matches to play. I think it’s very important to remain focused on what I have to do rather than thinking about the World Cup team and all that. Generally, I don’t think much about selection. I keep myself focused on doing my own work, giving 100 per cent in whatever I do,” Shankar said.
He added: “My motivation is to learn something from every practice session and get better with every passing day.”