Going forward, you'll see a lot of Vijay Shankar: Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans made their foray to the top of the table after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets on Saturday to secure their sixth win of the tournament. Things were particularly disheartening for Gujarat when Kolkata opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz teed up pretty early and mustered a 39-ball 81 in order to help KKR to a total of 179 runs. 

Vijay Shankar’s flamboyance with the bat later made short work of KKR’s total, and Hardik Pandya was ecstatic about the win. While praising Gurbaz’s clarity of thought and conviction, Hardik Pandya stated that it was indeed praise-worthy for his team to restrict them to a sub-par total.

“They got us back into the game and kept us in the game (on Noor and Little), because the way Gurbaz batted, we were bowling good balls, but it was a long time I saw a batter playing with such conviction and clarity of thought. I would have taken 180 on that pitch, especially after someone had made a 39-ball 81,” Hardik Pandya said in the post-match interview with the host broadcaster.

This was Gujarat’s sixth win of the season, propelling them to the top of the table. The most interesting aspect of their performance this season is that they have found a match-winner in almost every match. Hardik singled out that as the primary reason behind their success.

“Down the line in the group, we know that we'll have to play good cricket to win the game, that's the humbleness which has kept us in good stead. Everyone wants to contribute, but they accept difficult positions and want to come out on top. It's all about playing good cricket consistently, irrespective of a win or a loss,” Pandya added.

In the early years of Vijay Shankar’s international career, he was touted as a replacement for Hardik Pandya, but that never transpired with Shankar, dealing with mediocre performances and injuries, becoming an unknown entity in Indian cricket. But now under the wings of Hardik Pandya the skipper, he is having a second-wind to his T20 career and it is so impactful that Pandya believes the world will hear a lot of Vijay Shankar in coming years.

“He's fitter, more confident, and the amount of hard work he's done is terrific. Going forward, you'll see a lot of Vijay Shankar, I always believe in my life that good guys go to good places, I'm very happy,” the Titans skipper added.