"They gave me a tag randomly and made it viral" - Vijay Shankar opens up about Ambati Rayudu's '3D' player tag

After more than two years, Vijay Shankar has finally opened up about his feelings on receiving the '3D' tag from Ambati Rayudu and the divulge of trolling that followed.

BCCI selectors passed over Ambati Rayudu for Vijay Shankar in the 2019 World Cup citing the latter's 'three-dimensional' ability. Rayudu was quick to take a dig and tweeted that he will wear '3D glasses' to watch the tournament.

Although it seemed like a one-time thing, the tag stayed with Vijay Shankar and is used even today by trollers whenever his performances dip.

Speaking on the subject on Sunday, Vijay Shankar said trollers are enjoying themselves at his expense by propagating and using such tags.

He also brushed aside his comparisons with Ambati Rayudu, arguing that both play in contrasting situations and batting positions.

"Enakkum adhukkum sammandhame kedayaadhu (I have no connection to that). They gave me a tag randomly and made it viral. But after that tweet, I played three games for India (World Cup) and did decently. I didn’t do anything bad. Even in the IPL, my batting orders have been different. A lot of people compare me to Rayudu, but the batting orders and conditions we play in are different. It’s okay to even compare, but at least see which slots we’re batting in. A lot of people don’t know that. They don’t see that, and they just want to enjoy in social media at my expense," Shankar told News18.com.

He also clarified that these instances haven't affected his relationship with the Andhra batter.

"We talk well when we meet. There’s no personal issue between us. It just so happened that his tweet became viral. I definitely don’t have any grudge against Rayudu. Even when I met him recently in Delhi, we had a super conversation," added Shankar.

Vijay Shankar scored 58 runs and picked up two critical wickets in the World Cup but hasn't featured in any international matches since.

Ambati Rayudu, on the other hand, had announced an early retirement in 2019 but made a U-turn and returned to the domestic fold within six months. He is now a key member of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

"It’s a waste to try and change the public perception" - Vijay Shankar

When asked about how difficult it is to change public perception, Vijay Shankar asserted that it's a waste of effort.

He also took a cue from cricketing greats like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni who had their share of lampooning as well but took it in their stride.

"It is indeed hard to change, but I’m not trying to change that. It’s waste to try and change that. If I do well, it will change automatically. Perception will change overnight. Even big players like Sachin Tendulkar or MS Dhoni have been trolled at various stages. It is public opinion, anyone can say anything. When players of that stature have gone through it, we just have to go past these things," signed off Shankar.

Vijay Shankar recently featured in IPL 2021 where he collected 58 runs and three wickets across seven games.