Vijay Shankar talks about his rapport with Hardik Pandya

Vijay Shankar had a dramatic time in the last few months. To start with, he wasn’t a part of the Indian team. However, he got his opportunity in the ODI series against Australia. The 28-year-old player was drafted in as a replacement for the 25-year-old Hardik Pandya, who was handed a suspension by the CoA following the ‘sexist’ comments on Koffee With Karan.

Shankar couldn’t perform against the Aussies but did reasonably well against New Zealand in the ODI and T20I series. He also went on to bat at number three in the 20-overs fixtures where he got decent scores under his belt. In the meantime, the Tamil Nadu-born all-rounder talked about his relationship with Pandya and also admitted that they’re being looked as competitors.

We share a very good rapport

“When we were playing together in New Zealand, we had a lot of discussion. We were even sharing ideas on the field as to how to bowl during different situations,” Shankar was quoted as saying in an exclusive interview with India Today.

We often talk about the lines and lengths that can be effective to different batsmen. I think from the outside, we’re being looked at as competitors, but from the team’s point of view, we share a very good rapport,” he added.

As far as Pandya is concerned, the ban on him was lifted and he was called back midway during the ODI series against the Black Caps. After his comeback, the youngster didn’t disappoint by any stretch of the imagination. He played a few cameos with the bat and also bowled his heart out.

Going into the World Cup, which is scheduled to get underway on May 30 in England and Wales, Hardik is expected to play a pivotal role. Meanwhile, Shankar has also kept himself in the selectors’ radar following the strong shows against Kane Williamson’s Kiwis.

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