Don’t feel like being compared with Pandya, says Vijay Shankar

DXx_aF2W4AEYFJX
Vijay Shankar was the Man of the Match of today’s game. Image Source: BCCI

XtraTime Web Desk: Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar grabbed his first Man of the Match award in his second international game on Thursday after he took two crucial wickets against Bangladesh in the second match of the Nidahas Trophy. Ahead of getting an international call, he performed really well in the domestic circuit and many have started comparing him with India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Though he don’t like this comparison and feels that it is very important to show what a player can do on every match day.

“For me, what is important is what I do everyday. In the nets or where ever it is important for me to get better and better. I don’t like people comparing me with Hardik Pandya and I think, most cricketers don’t like this comparison and it is very important to show what we can do while playing a game,” said Shankar while talking to the media today.

Shankar is not complacent with his performance against Bangladesh and thinks that it is just a start and as a cricketer he needs to keep improving.

“Feels really great. I have been working very hard. It is a reward for whatever I have been working at. Intensity with which I work, I feel this is just a start for me. As a cricketer, the constant thing is to keep improving and learning. I am looking forward to the next game,” added Shankar.

He might have took few more wickets in the match against Bangladesh, but his fellow teammates dropped a lot of catches. Though Shankar thinks that dropped catches are a part and parcel of the game and that didn’t affect him during the game.

“That didn’t affect me much. I was not thinking too much about those dropped chances. I think its is a part of the game. I would have loved to get my first wicket at that time but still, as cricketers, we know it is not easy to field under lights and with the white ball. I definitely didn’t give much importance about that dropped catch. I just went back to bowl the next ball well”

Though the Indian bowlers restricted Bangladesh for just 139 runs but they geve 15 extras in the proceedings in which 11 were wides. On being asked whether that is a cause of concern, Shankar added,”Definitely no. Most of the extras were marginal. When we tried bowling the wide yorker, it was a bit away from the line. Obviously, the line belongs to the umpire. I think as bowlers, we can take that one extra yard in trying it out. Most of the time the batsmen try and go after the ball. I think we should stick to what we are doing. It has been successful in the last game. We were close in the last game as well.

“I think we bowled good lengths right from ball one. We kept taking wickets at regular intervals and never allowed them to get the momentum. This is why we managed to restrict them to 138-139. Picking wickets is important. The way how we take wickets is also important.”