• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Cant Give Tamil Nadu Players Waters Vijay Shankar Hits Back At Selectors After State Exit

"Can't Give Tamil Nadu Players Waters": Vijay Shankar Hits Back At Selectors After State Exit

Poulomi Chakraborty

Vijay Shankar On Tamil Nadu Exit (Source: @Vipintiwari952/x.com)Vijay Shankar On Tamil Nadu Exit (Source: @Vipintiwari952/x.com)

With the new Ranji Trophy season approaching, team switches are already making headlines. Among all, veteran Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar cut ties with his state association and is set to ply for Tripura.

As the veteran all-rounder is all set for a fresh journey, he opened up on the reason behind this big move. Citing a lack of opportunities, he admitted the decision was “quite difficult.”

Lack Of Opportunities Led The Way Towards The Big Decision

Over the years, Vijay Shankar has been the strongest pillar of strength for Tamil Nadu. Making his debut in 2012, he has gifted the side some memorable wins. But the scenario changed in recent years as he was on the sidelines, warming the bench despite showcasing promising performances.

After ending a long stint with the state, he is all set to represent Tripura in the upcoming domestic season. Speaking to The Hindu, he revealed the reasons behind his big move.

“Sometimes, when you’re forced to take that call, you need to move on and look out for opportunities. I think I’ve been playing well. And more importantly, I want to play cricket, that’s it. I can’t go out there and just sit out and give water. It’s quite difficult after playing for so many years,” he said.


“Last year, I got dropped for the first two Ranji games, and then I made a comeback. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, again, I was dropped for the last two games. So, after that, it was quite tough. You need some clarity at some point. I was not getting that clarity,” he added.

Overlooking Consistent Performances Prompts The Decision

Representing the state, Vijay Shankar scored 3702 runs in 70 matches and secured 43 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. In the last season, he played his career-best knock of an unbeaten 150 runs against Chandigarh. Despite batting across the batting order, he kept warming the bench. Reflecting on it, he admitted that his performances were repeatedly overlooked.

“Even if you take the last three years, I think only in 2022 I batted at one batting position, I batted at No. 6 every game, and I got three consecutive hundreds. But after that, from No. 3 to No. 7, I batted everywhere. So, there’s no explanation to this (why he’s being sidelined). But I can say that all these things have made me a better cricketer today. It made me really tough. I was always in a position where I had to keep performing to prove things wrong,” he added.

After taking NOC from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, he is set to represent Tripura alongside Hanuma Vihari. Ahead of starting a fresh chapter, he is eyeing a successful season.