Vijay Shankar – A Rising Star in Indian Cricket

Vijay Shankar is a prominent Indian cricketer who plays for the Tamil Nadu cricket team at the domestic level. He is a talented all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium pace. With his impressive performance in IPL 2023, he has become a key player for his franchise, Gujarat Titans. In this article, we will discuss his biography, career achievements, and interesting facts about him.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Vijay Shankar was born on 26th January 1991 in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, H. Shankar, was a former club cricketer who went out of his way to support his son’s cricketing ambitions. He built a net-practice facility on the terrace of their two-story house in Madipakkam, a Chennai suburb, to help his son hone his skills. Vijay Shankar’s elder brother, Ajay Shankar, also played cricket at the local level.

Education

Vijay Shankar completed his schooling from Modern Senior Secondary School, Nangainallur, Chennai, and graduated from Guru Nanak College, Chennai.

Personal Life

Vijay Shankar got married to Vaishali Visweswaran on 27th January 2021. They welcomed their first child, a son named Avyu, on 30th October 2021.

Hobbies and Interests

Apart from cricket, Vijay Shankar has a keen interest in singing, dancing, playing table tennis, and driving. He is also a fitness enthusiast and likes to work out a lot.

Career Achievements

Domestic Career

Vijay Shankar made his debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2012-13 season and quickly established himself as a valuable all-rounder for the team. He won the Man of the Match award twice in the knockout stage of the year 2014-15 Ranji Trophy. In the quarterfinal against Vidarbha, he scored 111 and 82 for which he was awarded the man of the match. In the semifinal against Maharashtra, he scored 91 and picked 2 wickets by giving 47 runs to win his second man of the match award. He came to the spotlight when he scored 577 runs in just seven games in the 2014-15 season.

IPL Career

In 2014, Vijay Shankar was bought by Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, and he played one match. He then moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017 and played four matches for them. His highest batting score in IPL is 63 not out against Gujarat Lions. In IPL 2023, he is playing for Gujarat Titans and has made a significant impact with his performance.

International Career

Vijay Shankar made his international debut for India in a T20 match against Sri Lanka in 2018. He then played his first ODI against Australia in January 2019. He was also a part of the Indian team for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Interesting Facts

• Vijay Shankar started out as an offspinner but turned to seam bowling to lend more variety to the Tamil Nadu attack, given the presence of R. Ashwin and other spinners in the squad.
• He is a die-hard fan of A.R. Rahman.
• His Instagram account has more than 445K followers (as of April 2023).
• In the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Vidarbha, he scored 111 and 82 and was awarded the man of the match.