IPL 2021: “Not thinking about doing extraordinary stuff or making a comeback” - Vijay Shankar

Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Vijay Shankar has stated that he is not thinking about his India comeback and instead is focusing on enjoying his game.

Vijay Shankar was a surprise selection in the Indian team for the 2019 World Cup. However, he was injured early in the showpiece event and was ruled out following the match against West Indies. He hasn’t played for India since. His injury woes continued as he played only one match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The 30-year-old marked his comeback to competitive cricket when he turned out for SRH against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. Speaking about his upcoming goals, Vijay Shankar was quoted as telling Cricketnext.com:

“I’m not thinking about doing extraordinary stuff or making a comeback. It’s about enjoying myself. I started playing this game because I love it. If I enjoy the game and take things as they come, I think I will be in much better mental space.”

Vijay Shankar did not have a lot to do on his return to cricket. Against KKR, he bowled one over for 14 and was dismissed for 11 with the bat. He did hold on to a crucial catch of Nitish Rana, who top-scored for KKR with 80 runs.

For the IPL 2021 match list, click here.

It's the game that unites us in the end 🧡💜#OrangeOrNothing #OrangeArmy #IPL2021 #SRHvKKR @davidwarner31 pic.twitter.com/uplZImhrpE

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 12, 2021

Playing my 100th T20 game will definitely be a good thing for me: Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar has played in 99 T20 matches already. If he gets to play another game for SRH this season, he would complete 100 games in the shortest format. Speaking about the upcoming landmark, the all-rounder said:

“Actually, this number (100) was in my mind when I joined the Tamil Nadu team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in January. I was thinking of playing my 100th T20 game, but then I totally forgot about it.”

“I think most of my lows came around my injuries, which set me back in whatever I was working on, but I learnt how to come out of it and handle these situations. So, playing my 100th T20 game will definitely be a good thing for me. I think I’ve also played 90 [88] List A matches, so I thought I would get close to 100 in that as well,” Vijay Shankar added.

⏮️ to last night's hard-fought contest, with plenty of positives.Onto the next one ⏭️#OrangeOrNothing #OrangeArmy #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/V0wxb20cRx

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 12, 2021

In 99 T20 games to this date, Vijay Shankar has scored 1468 runs at a strike rate of 126.66. With his medium pace, he has claimed 30 wickets at an average of 33.93 and an economy rate of 8.15 runs per over.