If I only think about comparisons with Hardik, I won't be able to play my game: Shankar

Vijay Shankar would not torment himself by thinking that it's not he but Hardik Pandya, who is Indian team's preferred all-rounder in the white-ball format, as the Tamil Nadu cricketer is focussed at churning out match-winning performances to stay in the mix.

The 29-year-old was part of India's World Cup campaign but an ankle injury cut short his journey.

Since then, he hasn't been part of the senior team with Shivam Dube coming in place of an injured Pandya. Now with a fit-again Pandya back in the mix, the wait for another national comeback could be longer.

"If it starts affecting me (that Hardik is the No 1 choice) then I will lose out on games that I have with me. If I focus on the games that I have and have match-winning performances, then my name will be there in the circuit (reckoning)," Vijay told PTI during an interview.

"If I perform, people will talk about me and if some opportunity arises, I will be getting into the Indian side. So I can't think about what other players are doing," said Vijay, who played 12 ODIs and 8 T20Is for India.

Vijay said that he is not looking at being a mere survivor in the Indian team but someone who can perform for long time.

"My dream is not just to get there and be a mere survivor. Only if I excel, can I prolong my international career. It's important for us to be at our best when we go to international level."
"Usually, I call two or three people who come and bowl or give throwdowns. Due to the lockdown, I wasn't able to call anyone so just did my exercises. Hope I can now start training."