Vijay Shankar has retired from domestic cricket and the IPL, a move that will allow him to explore opportunities in overseas franchise leagues.
The 35-year-old confirmed the decision in an Instagram post, saying he was stepping away from Indian domestic cricket and the IPL “to pursue new opportunities and play more cricket”. Under BCCI rules, active Indian domestic and IPL players are not allowed to take part in overseas T20 leagues, which means Shankar’s retirement opens that route for him.
In the same note, Shankar also referred to the criticism he had faced during his career. “I have faced unreal hate and negativity,” he wrote, adding that he had chosen to “ignore and move forward”. He signed off the post as “Your 3D cricketer”, a reference to the phrase that became attached to him after his 2019 World Cup selection.
Shankar played 21 white-ball matches for India between 2018 and 2019, featuring in 12 ODIs and nine T20Is. He scored 223 runs in ODIs at an average of 31.85 and 101 runs in T20Is at 25.25, while also providing a seam-bowling option.
His selection for the 2019 World Cup came after India had spent a long period searching for stability at No.4. Ambati Rayudu had been among the leading contenders for the role and had featured regularly in the build-up, but a difficult home series against Australia before the tournament weakened his case.
Shankar, meanwhile, latched onto his chances. Against Australia, in a series preceding the World Cup, he scored 120 runs in four innings with a strike rate of 112.14. He also offered India an additional bowling option, which became a key factor in the final selection call.
When the squad was announced, then chief selector MSK Prasad said Shankar brought “three dimensions” to the side. Rayudu, who missed out, responded by saying: “Just ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the World Cup.”
Shankar played three matches in the tournament before being ruled out with a broken toe. His most notable moment came against Pakistan at Old Trafford, where he dismissed Imam-ul-Haq with his first ball in World Cup cricket.
At the domestic level, Shankar spent most of his career with Tamil Nadu and captained them to titles in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Deodhar Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He later moved to Tripura ahead of the 2025-26 season.
He ended his domestic career with an unbeaten 151 against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy in February, winning the Player of the Match award.
Shankar finished with 4,253 first-class runs at 46.73, 2,790 List A runs at 34.87, and 2,583 T20 runs at a strike rate of 128.37. He also took 154 wickets across formats.
In the IPL, Shankar played 78 matches between 2014 and 2025, representing Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans. He went unsold at the most recent auction after registering as an uncapped player, with more than five years having passed since his last international appearance.
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