“I am speechless”- Vijaykumar Vyshak reacts to his maiden call-up for SA vs IND T20I series
Vijaykumar Vyshak called it a dream come true moment after earning his maiden international call for the upcoming four-match T20I series in South Africa in November. The 27-year-old shared how his hard work behind the scenes to become a fit athlete has rewarded him.
He shared his fitness journey from being an overweight youngster to playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Vyshak told the Times of India:
“I am speechless. An India call-up is what every cricketer aspires for. It's a dream come true.”
“For a long time, people called me fat and it never really bothered me. A few years ago, I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn't see a cricketer. What I saw was an overweight youngster, who was struggling with his cricket. That day, I told myself, fitness is everything, work on it,” he added.
Vyshak has bagged 13 wickets in 11 games for RCB in IPL. Overall, he has picked up 42 wickets in 30 T20s. The Bengaluru-born player has been equally brilliant in first-class and List-A career. He has picked up 99 wickets in 25 FC games and 34 scalps in 21 List-A matches.
Vyshak recently took part in Duleep Trophy where he bagged 10 wickets in three games.
“It worked wonders for me” – Vijaykumar Vyshak credits Bharat Arun for his turnaround
Vijaykumar Vyshak lauded former India bowling coach Bharat Arun for his turnaround. He said in the same interaction:
"My action was all over the place. I couldn't jump because of my weight. There were days when I wept to my parents. That's when I went to work with Arun sir. I did three to four sessions with him, and it worked wonders for me. I keep going back to work with Arun sir."
Vyshak added that he can adapt to any situation owing to his experience at RCB:
"I've bowled in all situations for RCB, and I can adapt quickly. When the opportunity comes, I want to give it my all."
India’s squad for 4 T20Is against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.