ICC World Cup 2019: Indian skipper Virat Kohli delighted to have Vijay Shankar in the team

When it was revealed that Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar was included in the Indian 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019, at the expense of Ambati Rayudu, social media went into a tizzy making memes and jokes at the expense of Shankar and Rayudu both. The fact that Rayudu was endorsed by Indian skipper Virat Kohli a few months back for the no.4 spot in the Indian team, made his exclusion all the more surprising.

However, Kohli has now made peace with the decision and has welcomed Shankar to the fold and said that he has full faith in the all-rounder’s abilities. The skipper also said that he was confident that all-rounder will be a huge asset to the team in the showpiece event in England and Wales.

I am delighted to have Shankar in the team, says Kohli

Chief selector MSK Prasad justified Shankar’s selection by saying that his ability to contribute with the bat, ball and on the field worked in his favor. This led to the infamous 3D glasses tweet from Rayudu, which went viral. “Vijay Shankar brings in a lot to the team and hence, I am delighted to have him,” Kohli was quoted as saying by India Today.

Boria Majumdar, Consulting Editor Sports India Today Group further stated that Kohli was loving the collective excitement in the team, is in the best space possible and is fully satisfied with the team he has to lead the challenge in England and Wales.

Speaking of the all-rounder, Shankar has done enough to impress the skipper and the team management with his performances in his brief yet exciting limited-overs career for India. From the criticism of the Nidahas trophy final performance to his brilliance in New Zealand ODI and T20I series, Shankar has 165 runs from 9 matches at an average of 33 and a strike rate of over 96.

His technical brilliance as a batsman often overshadows the added advantage of his dibbly-dobbly medium pace bowling gives the captain a good enough option. He is also a terrific fielder who can be placed in the inner circle as well as the outfield in limited-overs cricket, a big advantage he holds over Rayudu, whose fielding was not found up to the mark.

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