Vijay Shankar doesn't see Hardik Pandya as a competition

In the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Indian team called up Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar for the second Test in Nagpur. The 26-year-old who earlier admitted that he wasn’t expecting a call-up to the national team is all geared up. He knows he will have to grab the opportunity and make the best out of it.

Shankar was a part of in Tamil Nadu’s Ranji campaign when he received a call informing him about the Test selection. Ahead of the second game, he stated that he doesn’t see Hardik Pandya as a competition despite the fact that they are contenders for the same position in the team.

It’s a dream come true moment for me

For someone who has been averaging a phenomenal 49.14 in first-class games, Shankar was over the moon after he got selected.

“I had just come back home from Indore when I got the news and I was very happy. It’s a dream come true moment for me to get a call-up from the Indian team,” he was quoted as saying by IANS.

He revealed that it was the chairman of selectors MK Prasad. “I got a call from MSK Prasad sir. He said: ‘You will get an official mail soon.’ Till I got the mail, I was anxious as it was hard for me to believe. I was waiting for the mail, which landed around 9 pm. I was over the moon then and so was my family,” he added.

Not thinking of any sort of competition with Pandya

Vijay remarked that he didn’t see Hardik Pandya who has established himself in the Indian team across formats as a competition. Praising his recent performances, the Tamil Nadu lad said that he was looking forward to making a mark personally.

“Pandya has done well so far and his rise has been amazing. I am not thinking about any sort of competition. It’s not about competing with anyone but improving on a personal front and trying to cement a place in the starting XI,” he stated.