‘Glad that he has worked hard and not given up’ - Ravi Shastri reflects on Vijay Shankar’s performance against KKR

The 13th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 saw Gujarat Titans take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 9. The game proved to be an all-time classic as Kolkata chased the target in fabulous fashion.

Gujarat Titans elected to bat first and got off to a rocky start as Wriddhiman Saha was sent back to the pavilion quite early. Coming in next, Sai Sudharsan scored a brilliant half-century, and he was accompanied by Vijay Shankar, who played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 63 as the defending champions posted 204.

Shankar’s knock was the highlight of Gujarat Titans’ innings with the bat, and seeing his performance, former India coach Ravi Shastri came forward to heap praises on the 32-year-old.

"The fact that Vijay was picked for the World Cup is because he had this kind of talent. And I am glad that he has gone back, worked hard, and not given up. You know he has had some tough times; he has had an operation as well, but he has come back strong," Shastri told Star Sports.

Vijay Shankar is a clean striker of the ball: Ravi Shastri

Shastri opined that Shankar’s height and reach provides him a plethora of shots and how the 32-year-old is a huge asset in the defending champions’ arsenal. Despite Shankar’s knock against Kolkata being in vain, his good form could prove to be a big plus for Gujarat Titans in the forthcoming matches.

"Beautiful hitting today because he is a clean striker of the ball, he has got a wide range of shots, and, because of his reach and height, he can hit the ball a long, long way. Great to see. This is the strength of the Gujarat Titans. They have got some power hitters in the back end of the innings. So if they get off to a good start, then they are a very dangerous side at the back end of the innings," Shastri said.