On the outskirts of Chennai, a father takes a call from his son who is in Hyderabad. It's the news of his World Cup selection. Vijay Shankar, 28, is overjoyed to deliver the biggest news of his cricketing life and father H Shankar is overcome with emotion.

"I was out of my house and in a meeting with someone when Vijay called me with the news of his inclusion. He was thrilled after having put in so much effort for the past 17 to 18 years. I couldn't talk much to him because we both were busy with some work. He wanted me to hear the news from him," Shankar told mid-day from Chennai yesterday. Shankar, 59, a former all-rounder himself, has played club cricket in Chennai.