[WATCH] “Trust the process" - Vijay Shankar sends a message amid the darkest phase of his career

Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar has chosen to stay optimistic about his future, amid the darkest phase of his career.

The Gujarat Titans all-rounder underwent surgery on his right shoulder in Mumbai last month. He has already begun working on his fitness but is still a few months away from regaining his full fitness.

The Tamil Nadu player shared a strong message with a workout video on Instagram on Friday (July 29). The message read:

“Trust the process.”

Shankar was part of the Gujarat Titans that won the Indian Premier League this year. However, he failed miserably in the tournament, scoring just 19 runs across four innings.

He also missed the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) amid the rehabilitation process. The all-rounder last played for Team India in June 2019 and will be looking to perform well in the forthcoming tournaments to make a comeback into the national team.

Vijay Shankar faces stiff competition from the likes of Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur

Vijay Shankar's journey back to the Indian team isn't going to be easy. He is likely to face stiff competition from the likes of Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Hooda and Venkatesh Iyer, among others.

A number of consistent performances might help him gain a call for a second-string India squad. Shankar made his debut for India at the Nidahas Trophy 2018 featuring Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He has so far managed to play just 12 ODIs and nine T20Is.

He will be eyeing a return to the field during upcoming domestic tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy.

The tentative date for SMAT is from October 11 to November 5, as per a report from SportStar. The Vijay Hazare Trophy is likely to take place during November, while the prestigious Ranji Trophy is expected to be played between December and February.