Virat Kohli justifies the inclusion of Vijay Shankar in the Test squad

The Indian skipper Virat Kohli believes that Vijay Shankar has earned his place in the squad on the back of some consistent performances. The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu was drafted into the Test team after Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan were released by the team management owing to the personal commitments after the first Test match. However, Kohli is looking at Shankar as the ‘backup all-rounder’ for Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya has been rested for the Test series against Sri Lanka ahead of the gruelling tour of South Africa in January. Shankar is also an all-rounder who has performed consistently in the domestic arena. He was under the radar of selectors for quite a while and has earned his place now after Bhuvi was released for his marriage. However, the youngster would look to impress everyone if given the opportunity in the second Test match in Nagpur on Friday.

Kohli praises Vijay Shankar

While speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the second Test of the three-match series against Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli praised Shankar for his consistent show in first-class cricket and justified his inclusion. “Obviously Hardik is in our scheme of things as the first all-rounder but we need to find out more people who have that kind of ability, who we can groom and make as back-ups for an all-rounder spot, which is very very crucial for us when we travel abroad,” he told reporters.

“So that is the whole mindset of bringing him in, keeping him in set-up, making him familiar with what’s going on here, making him understand what he needs to work on and look at his game as well,” the 29-year-old. Kohli also hinted that he might be handed a debut as Nagpur pitch is also expected to be a green top and looked impressed with his technique. “He is a pretty balanced cricketer, he is composed. He is a great fielder, handy with the ball, He can easily give you 10-12 overs in a day. He is very solid with the bat, I just saw him at the nets as well. So a big moment for him. He has earned it,” he said of Vijay Shankar.

There is a huge possibility that the youngster might earn his Test cap as the team is preparing itself for overseas tours next year. The idea of having a backup all-rounder to Pandya is really good with the team covering all the bases.