Star CSK all-rounder exits from Tamil Nadu Ranji Team
Senior allrounder Vijay Shankar leaves Tamil Nadu team braces for 2025-26 season with new coaching staff and emerging players.
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Vijay Shankar, an allrounder, has confirmed his departure from Tamil Nadu for the 2025-26 domestic season, with a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). Now 34, Vijay is seeking more regular opportunities in all formats of the season after he was left out of Tamil Nadu's second match, against Maharashtra, in the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament despite featuring for the TNCA President's XI in match one, against Himachal Pradesh.
For Vijay, this marks the end of a 13-year association with Tamil Nadu, leading the state to multiple titles, and domestic titles - Vijay Hazare Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has been an important member of the middle order since his first-class Ranji Trophy debut in December 2012, alongside B Indrajith, as a replacement for S Badrinath.
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In his Ranji career for Tamil Nadu, Vijay scored 3,142 runs in 81 innings at an average of 44.25, with 11 centuries and 16 fifties. With the ball, he took 43 wickets at an average of 53.93. His breakout season was 2014-15, when he scored 577 runs at an average of 57.70 and found his way onto India A, later being included as a wildcard for India's 2019 ODI World Cup squad. Since then, he scored his best-ever score of 150 not out against Chandigarh in the 2024-25 Ranji season.
Vijay also has undergone a makeover in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) with mystery spin, including carrom balls and a wrong’un, after being taught by Varun Chakravarthy. These are expected to help his new team in the upcoming season.
Vijay is the second senior player to leave Tamil Nadu recently, after TNPL captain B Aparajith moved to Kerala. Tamil Nadu has secured 18-year-old RS Ambrish as a suitable replacement. He looked promising for India Under-19s in England and will add value with both bat and ball.
Tamil Nadu is dealing with challenges going into the season, with R Sai Kishore still recovering from a hand injury and left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram not included. The team even appointed M Senthilnathan as head coach as well as former India seamer T Kumaran as bowling Coach, adding experience and energy to the Tamil Nadu setup.
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