Vijay Shankar scored 24-ball 63 against KKR© BCCI/Sportzpics
Not too long ago, Vijay Shankar had become a consistent member of the Indian team in white-ball cricket. The all-rounder also earned a call-up to the Indian squad for the 2019 ODI World Cup. But, since the conclusion of the tournament, Shankar has found it tough to break into the Indian team. However, having witnessed his heroics against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has made some interesting ‘World Cup’ comments.
Shankar went on a rampant boundary-scoring run against the Knight Riders, smashing 63 runs off just 24 balls, striking at a rate of 262.50. With the help of 4 fours and 5 sixes, he helped Gujarat put 204 runs on the board.
“The fact that Vijay was picked for the World Cup is because he had this kind of talent. And I am glad that he has gone back, worked hard, and not given up. You know he has had some tough times, he has had an operation as well, but he has come back strong,” Shastri said on Star Sports, having seen Viijay’s performance against KKR.
“Beautiful hitting today because he is a clean striker of the ball, he has got a wide range of shots and, because of his reach and height, he can hit the ball a long, long way. Great to see. This is the strength of the Gujarat Titans. They have got some power hitters in the back end of the innings. So if they get off to a good start then they are a very dangerous side at the back end of the innings,” the former India head coach added.
If it wasn’t for Rinku Siingh’s mayhem in the last 5 balls of the match, Gujarat would’ve ended on the winning side in the contest and Shankar would’ve arguably won the Player of the Match award.
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