Super Gillies can turn it around: Vijay Shankar

Having just returned from the India ‘A’ tour of England where he was laid low by an injury to his right leg, the 27-year-old will be heading to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to gauge the extent of his injury. His absence will deprive the struggling Super Gillies of a player who can lift the morale of the team that has lost its first three matches in TNPL 3. Interestingly, Vijay Shankar is yet to make his debut in the TNPL as he missed the inaugural edition through injury and was away with the India ‘A’ team during the second season.

“It’s doubtful whether I will be able to take part in any of the matches in this season’s TNPL. I arrived on Saturday and headed straight to the stadium to be with the team. In T20 format things can change quickly. 

“We have enough quality in our ranks to go on a winning run. It’s just that we are unable to seize the key moments of the game. For instance, in the match against Karaikudi Kaalai, spinner Alexander dismissed Shajahan for zero of the first ball he faced but it turned out to be a noball. We have to be a little more careful and ensure that such mistakes don’t happen again,” said Vijay Shankar.Despite the Super Gillies not making an impressive start, Vijay Shankar remains hopeful that a place in the playoffs is still within its reach. 

“Once we win a game, that will instil a lot of confidence. We are doing well in patches but unable to fire in unison. The batsmen shouldn’t have any problem with being shuffled around and should be ready to bat at any position,” opined Vijay Shankar. Talking about his stint with India ‘A’, Vijay Shankar - who was rewarded with a place in the India ‘B’ team for the quadrangular series involving South Africa ‘A’, Australia ‘A’ and India ‘A’ - said spending time with coach Rahul Dravid was enriching. 

“It was a great experience. The exposure we get to different conditions will help us in our evolution as a player. We have a great mentor in Dravid under whom I had the pleasure of playing before and learning the nuances of the game. It was unfortunate that in one of the matches, I slipped in my delivery stride and had to sit out the remainder of the tour. My focus is on getting myself fit in time for the quadrangular series,” added the TN limited overs skipper.