WATCH, SMAT | Shankar makes early inroads into Chenai hearts by decimating arch-rival Hardik Pandya
With the IPL auction concluded, attention now turns to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a platform for local players to display their skills. Tamil Nadu's Vijay Shankar grabbed the spotlight in the match against Baroda in Indore, smashing three sixes off Hardik Pandya in a single over.
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International career
Vijay Shankar, an Indian cricketer, has had an eventful journey in international cricket. He started playing for India in 2018 and was part of the team for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Below is a year-by-year summary of his career:
- 2017: On 20 November 2017, Vijay Shankar replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar in India's Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka. However, he did not play in any of the matches.
- 2018: Shankar was selected for India's T20I squad in February 2018 for the Nidahas Trophy. He made his debut on 6 March 2018 against Sri Lanka. In his second match, he took his first wicket in T20Is by dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim. He performed well in that game, taking two wickets for 32 runs. India won by 6 wickets, and Shankar was named Player of the Match.
- 2019: In January 2019, Shankar replaced the suspended Hardik Pandya for the remaining two ODIs against Australia and the entire limited-overs series against New Zealand. He made his ODI debut on 18 January 2019 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
- 2019: In April 2019, Vijay Shankar was selected for India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, ahead of more experienced players like Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina. This choice attracted significant media attention. In the match against Pakistan, Shankar took a wicket with his first ball, becoming the third player to achieve this feat in World Cup history. Unfortunately, Shankar was injured and missed India's last two matches. Mayank Agarwal replaced him in the squad.
- 2020: In 2020, Shankar played in four ODIs and scored a total of 138 runs, with his highest score being 58.
- 2021: After the 2019 World Cup, Shankar's form declined, and he lost his place in the Indian team in 2021. This marked a decline in his international cricket career.
Leagues Participation
Vijay Shankar has been part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for several years, playing for different teams. His journey in the league has seen him contribute as both a batsman and a bowler.
Indian Premier League
Vijay Shankar's IPL career began in 2014. Over the years, he has played for Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Titans. His best performance came in 2017 when he scored an unbeaten 63 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also had an important role in Gujarat Titans’ 2023 season.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
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2014
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Chennai Super Kings
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Played one match.
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2017
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Sunrisers Hyderabad
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Played four matches, with a highest score of 63 against Gujarat Lions.
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2018
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Delhi Daredevils
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Bought in the IPL auction.
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2019
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Sunrisers Hyderabad
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Traded back to Sunrisers Hyderabad. ICC named him one of the players to watch.
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2020
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Sunrisers Hyderabad
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Missed the remaining matches due to a hamstring injury sustained against Delhi Capitals.
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2022
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Gujarat Titans
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Bought in the IPL auction, played a key role in the team.
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2023
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Gujarat Titans
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Scored 301 runs in 10 innings, with a high score of 63 runs.
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2024
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Gujarat Titans
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Played 32 matches as of April 2024, with a highest score of 17 runs.
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2025
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Chennai Super Kings
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Bought for INR 1.20 crore in the IPL Auction.
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Domestic career
Vijay Shankar has had a solid career with Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket. He played key roles in the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy knockout stage. In the quarterfinal against Vidarbha, he scored 111 and 82. Tamil Nadu advanced to the next round based on the first-innings lead. In the semifinal against Maharashtra, he scored 91 and took 2/47, which helped his team reach the final. Tamil Nadu lost to Karnataka in the final, despite Shankar's 5 & 103 and 1/92 performance.
Shankar led Tamil Nadu to victories in the 2016-17 Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy. In 2018, he was part of India C’s squad for the Deodhar Trophy and finished as the tournament’s top wicket-taker. He was also part of India B's squad for the 2019-20 Deodhar Trophy.
In the 2021-2022 season, Shankar captained Tamil Nadu to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In 2023, he played against iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, taking 3/26. During the 2023-2024 season, he helped Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy match against Punjab by scoring 184 runs with B. Indrajith on the first day.
Records and achievements
Vijay Shankar has achieved the following in his cricket career:
- ODI Batting: Played 12 matches, scored 223 runs, with an average of 46 runs per 100 balls.
- T20I Batting: Played 9 matches, scored 101 runs, with an average of 43 runs per 100 balls.
- ODI Bowling: Played 12 matches, took 210 wickets, with best figures of 2/15.
- May 13, 2017: Scored 63 against Gujarat Lions in an IPL match.
- 2014–2015 Ranji Trophy: Two Man of the Match awards. Scored 111 and 82 in the quarterfinal against Vidarbha. Scored 91 and took 2/47 in the semifinal against Maharashtra.
- 2018 Nidahas Trophy: Took 2 wickets for 32 runs in the second match, helping India win by 6 wickets.
Personal life
Vijay Shankar got engaged to Vaishali Visweswaran on 20 August 2020 and married her on 27 January 2021. They have one child, born on 30 October 2021.
Finance
As of 2024, Vijay Shankar's net worth is around INR 30 Crore (about USD 3.5 Million).
Cars and House
In 2023, Vijay Shankar owned a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW. He lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Scandals
In 2019, Vijay Shankar was involved in a controversy when he and Shubman Gill replaced Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul in the Indian squad for the ODI series against Australia and the New Zealand tour after both players were involved in a sexism scandal.
In 2020, Vijay spoke about an incident where a Pakistani fan insulted him and his teammates before the 2019 Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan. He shared how a Pakistani man approached them while they were having coffee and began insulting them.
Fans
Vijay Shankar has a strong fan base. In 2022, after a poor match against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, fans reacted with memes on Twitter. Many questioned his selection over veteran Suresh Raina in the IPL auction.
However, in 2023, fans praised his performance in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders. He scored 51 runs off 24 balls, helping Gujarat Titans win by seven wickets.
He has 600k followers on Instagram.
