V and V combine for TN victory

After the winning feeling finally sank in, Tamil Nadu skipper Vijay Shankar spoke to DT Next about the successful SMAT campaign, his working relationship with chief coach Venkataramana, his batting form and the upcoming Vijay Hazare (50-over) Trophy that will be hosted at various centres between December 8 and 26.

The tournament was won by not just the guys who played; the guys who didn’t get a game and the support staff played their part. Credit [goes] to all of them. When you are not playing, it isn’t easy to keep yourself motivated all the time. It was great to see them boost our vibes, which the team needed. It always feels good when you win against top sides. Karnataka has done well in the past, so it was good to beat it.

This is the third trophy I have won with Tamil Nadu as captain. I won [the] Vijay Hazare [Trophy] and [the] Deodhar Trophy (both in the 2016-2017 season). Now, it is the Syed Mushtaq [Ali] Trophy. It is always special to win a tournament as captain. Retaining the [SMA] Trophy was also special because it means that we have been doing something right for the last couple of years.

It has been really good [to work with them]. Both Venkataramana sir and Prasanna have been giving me inputs. You need the coaches by your side when you take some tough calls. While taking tough decisions – such as dropping B Sai Sudharsan for the group match against Punjab and excluding P Saravana Kumar from the eleven for the SMAT final after his five-wicket haul in the semi-finals – you need the team’s backing. The [head] coach as well as the assistant coach always stayed by my side and that was the best part about it. The boys also understood the situations well.

When you perform well as a captain and the team wins, it feels pretty good. It is very hard to explain how I feel [about my game]. It was important to do well [for the team] and set an example to others. I have been playing for Tamil Nadu for the last ten years. Since a few players were inexperienced, I had to take up the responsibility of guiding the team through in tough situations. I am happy because I was able to do it.

Everything won’t fall in place just because we won the Syed Mushtaq [Ali] Trophy. We will have to do our daily grind. We need to trust ourselves and adapt to situations quickly. During Syed Mushtaq, we never complained about the conditions and the effect the toss had on matches. We will have to do the same in Vijay Hazare. It has been raining in Chennai for the past few days, so it has been a little difficult to practise. But, we need to be ready mentally for the 50-over format.

The senior players bring a lot of experience with them. They have done well in the past. There are a lot of youngsters in the Tamil Nadu dressing room, so it is important for everyone to learn from them. It is also important to gel well as a team. DK and Washi have played many games for India, and would have faced [tough] situations. I am looking forward to have them back. Hopefully, we have a great tournament together.