After Hanuma Vihari, Vijay Shankar all set to represent Tripura

After Hanuma Vihari, another Indian international, Vijay Shankar, is prepared to represent Tripura for the upcoming season. After a 13-year-long stint with Tamil Nadu, Shankar's likely switch will be marked as a significant move in Indian domestic cricket. The all-rounder reportedly received the much-needed no objection certificate from the Tamil Nadu cricket board but is yet to announce his shift officially.

Tripura will be a part of crucial domestic competitions like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where Hanuma Vihari is expected to lead the side as the captain. While talking with Cricbuzz, Shankar informed, "I have obtained the NOC from TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) but am yet to receive confirmation from the Tripura Cricket Association. I will be able to officially announce my switch once I get the formal approval letter from Tripura." 

During the 2014-15 season, when Tamil Nadu cricket was going through a transition phase, Vijay Shankar appeared as a serious talent. In that season, the pace bowling all-rounder finished the campaign with 577 runs at 57.70, including 111, 82, 91, and 103-run innings in the knockout phase. In 70 First Class games, Shankar gathered 3702 runs at an average of 45.14. And in List A cricket, the all-rounder amassed 2632 runs in 106 matches at an average of 35.09. 

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Shankar's career stats in brief 

For India, he appeared in 9 T20Is and 12 ODIs, including the famous World Cup game against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2019. More than his bowling part, Shankar was instrumental for Men in Blue with his batting, especially in ODIs. In those 12 matches, he got 223 runs in total and 31.85, while his T20I batting average stands at 25.25.

On the other side, Vihari already announced his switch to Tripura formally. Through a social media post on Tuesday, he publicly said, "After thoughtful consideration, I have made the decision to move to the Tripura Cricket Association, where I will be representing the state in all three formats of the game."