XtraTime Web Desk: Indian cricket team’s important all-rounder Vijay Shankar revealed that his injury has healed and he is hopeful that he would be fully ready to play against Afghanistan in a World Cup game on Saturday.
Addressing the media on the eve of the match, Vijay, on his toe injury said, “I’ve got a lot better.”
While talking about the injury Vijay explained that he wasn’t surprised when the quick delivery of Bumrah hit his toes.”Actually, when you play someone like Bumrah, you always expect that. Still, sometimes we do miss that,” he said.
India, having won all its matches it has played so far in the World Cup (barring one washout against New Zealand), Vijay said it is always all about getting better everyday. “Yeah, definitely, being a professional, it’s very important to keep improving and get better every day. That is the only thing which each and every individual think about. If you can keep getting better, we can set ourself better standards every game.
“I will look to get better in every aspect of the game. Sometimes it’s good to understand the situation, which will be very important in this tournament.”
The all-rounder said, India isn’t taking any opponent light, even though Saturday’s opponent, Afghanistan hasn’t been at it’s best. “No, it’s not about against whom we’re playing. I think it’s about how we play as individuals. As I said earlier, we always look to get better, even when we get to practice session. That is the only motive that we have. So it doesn’t matter against whom we’re playing,” he explained.
Vijay said it is a special feeling to be representing the country in a prestigious event like the World Cup. “Definitely, first of all, it feels great to represent the country. World Cup is very special because it happens once in four years, so for every individual it’s very special. The first important thing is representing the country. That feeling will always be there, be it World Cup or any other tournament,” he said.
The all-rounder said the one game that he played, against Pakistan, has given him confidence to surge ahead. “Yeah, definitely it gives any player some confidence because that is really needed for any individual. Last game gave me some confidence, and especially playing against Pakistan, making my debut against them. It was a very special thing for me, performing under pressure and coming out good. The team winning at the end of the day is really important. It felt really good at the end of the day,” he said.
Vijay said he is ready to take up any role at any position for the team. “The pressure will always be to deliver whatever the situation demands. So it’s not about how powerful I am because I’ve also played down the order. I’ve also got experience playing at number 6, 7. It’s not about taking that extra pressure. It’s about taking extra responsibility and delivering it at the right time for the team.”
On Rashid Khan, his team-mate at Sunrisers Hyderabad, said, “He’s definitely one of the best bowlers right now in limited-overs, and he has done well. For me, having played with him for a couple of years, it’s very important for me to pick things from him, like whenever I bat against him in the nets, I try and pick his variations. He’s a good bowler. So anyone can go for runs every day. It is about how we come back strong. So for me, it is about how I play against him tomorrow. So that will be the key.”