ICC World Cup 2019 | I am very much prepared for crucial No. 4 position, says Vijay Shankar
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Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar has claimed that he is well equipped for the No. 4 slot in the batting line-up for the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales. India are still uncertain over the said position and Shankar was hinted to bat at 4 during the team announcement by selector MSK Prasad.
India begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 and who will be taking guard at 4 is still not clear. The race as of now is between KL Rahul and Vijay Shankar, but the odds are with the latter after MSK Prasad hinted at him as No. 4 while making the team announcement. Rahul had a stellar run in the IPL while Shankar failed to impress apart from occasional sparks of brilliance. However, Shankar claims that he is mentally prepared to shoulder the No. 4 responsibility in the Indian batting line-up.Â
“I am very much prepared for the crucial No. 4 position. I am mentally prepared for that. It is that position where you might have to come in (in the) 7th or 8th over and (it) might be possible (that) you have to come after 30 or 35 overs, so I have prepared myself for every situation,” Shankar told Timesofindia.com.
Shankar has shown enough signs in recent times, where he attacked will immense confidence. He further shed light on how batting higher up the order might assist his style.Â
“I am an attacking-style batsman. If given a chance to play up the order, it would be great. I can go and play according to the style which suits me,” Shankar said.
Shankar is not only an impactful batsman but also a handy bowler apart from being a livewire on the field. He did well in sporadic appearances for India before the World Cup, which probably propelled his selection. Shankar was tagged as a three-dimensional player by MSK Prasad earlier, and the all-rounder has said that he wants to pull up on all fronts. Â
“I have given my best whenever I represented India. I have done well in the recent matches I played for India. I have bowled in (the) death, batted in crucial stages and with time improvised my fielding as well. I always wanted to be a perfect all-rounder and I seriously love being tried in different situations by my captain. As he (MSK) said, I am a three-dimensional player. I am happy and would like to work on the same for the rest of my career. I want to improve and improve as an all-rounder,” the 28-year-old said.
“I trained really hard. I have trained with good intensity. Whenever I train, I make sure I follow what my coaches and trainers say. I have also worked on my techniques. Be it batting, fielding or bowling, I am prepared in every aspect for the World Cup,” Shankar added.
Like many others in the team, this will be Shankar’s maiden World Cup outing and would certainly be under pressure. Playing for India in the World Cup has always been Shankar’s dream and the Tamil Nadu cricketer is excited that he will be fulfilling it soon.Â
“I am also excited because it is my maiden World Cup. It is a dream of every cricketer to represent his country in the World Cup. I am about to live that dream now. I just want to go and give my best. Pressure is something you cannot take away from any cricketer. It is going to be there. It is going to be a huge experience. It is going to be very special for me because it (World Cup) happens in four years. I want to wear the Indian World Cup jersey and witness thousands of fans cheering in the stadium. I want to experience that. I am sure I won’t disappoint them,” Shankar said.
