Indian all-rounders Shankar and Pandya are not in competition.
Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar stated that there is no competition between his fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya despite both being known for hitting big at times.
“I don’t think I am competing with Hardik. He is a terrific cricketer. Yes, we are all-rounders but we are different from each other. And why do we need to compete? It would be great if both of us can contribute in India’s victory,” said Shankar in an interview with PTI.
The similarities between Pandya and Shankar end with their all-round abilities as they have different batting strengths. Pandya has gathered various accolades with his massive power while Shankar believes keeping his shape is the key for him to hit big. Shankar is also expected to be the answer to India’s number 4 conundrum at the tournament with his skills.
“I love hitting those big sixes. The key for me is to retain my shape. I have not been successful when I have tried to muscle the ball but whenever I have held shape, the ball has gone into the stands,” Shankar explained.
On another note, Shankar shared how the rest of the team were told to rest in preparation for the World Cup while he kept himself occupied honing his skills with indoor and outdoor practise.
“I batted indoors with my childhood coach. I had got some valuable tips from VVS Laxman at (Sunrisers) Hyderabad and I make sure I am working on them. After that, I went to the Guru Nanak University ground where I bowl. I don’t bowl indoors as I bowl with full run-up. There are times I do single wicket bowling and there are times I try (to) practise hitting a specific length,” he said about his training regimen.
India will play the eight one-day international match in the World Cup against South Africa on July 5.
