Team management's belief in me is extra motivation: Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar

New Delhi: All-rounder Vijay Shankar being picked as India's No. 4 batsman for the World Cup saw the birth of the biggest debate to engulf Indian cricket in recent times. Former cricketers and pundits have had their say and many believe that Ambati Rayudu or Rishabh Pant would have been a better option. But then, the five wise men - national selectors - clearly thought otherwise when they felt that Shankar fits the bill.

Interestingly, criticism and Shankar have a history. Not many cricket fans in the country would have forgotten the all-rounder's struggle against Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy and the hate reaction that followed on social media after Shankar struggled with the bat during India's chase and ended with a 19-ball 17.

"I would definitely say the Nidahas Trophy was a life-changing experience as a cricketer for me. It has been a year and everyone knows what happened and how difficult it was. "I would have easily attended 50 phone calls from all over India. The press people kept calling me and asked me the same question. Even the social media and all was a little difficult for me, I felt a little disappointed and took me some time to get out of that zone.

"But on hindsight, it taught me how to come out of that. I learned how to handle situations. That incident showed me that one bad day isn't the end of the world," he said. Coming back to the much debated batting slot in the World Cup, Shankar has learned to de-stress and not get bothered by what is being said around him. For him, it is the team management that counts.

"I had a decent run when I batted at No.3 in the T20 series in New Zealand. The most important thing is that the team management has shown trust in me and believes I can do the job. That gives you extra motivation. The need of the team is my priority and I am always ready to adapt to situations and conditions. I am enjoying myself and don't put any pressure. I give importance to work ethics. There is no shortcut," he smiled.

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