Leading TN has always been my dream Vijay Shankar

Leading TN has always been my dream: Vijay Shankar

With a new inter-zonal T20 league replacing the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament this year, players will have to make the most of every opportunity that they get.

The tournament has been divided into two phases, with states from each zone playing each other initially before the five zones ­ North, South, West, East and Central -compete for the main trophy. The players for the inter-zonal league will be picked by their respective selection committees based on the performance for their states.

In recent years, the domestic T20 tournament has been closely watched by IPL franchises hoping to recruit the best local talent, but this year's format might restrict the number of playing opportunities as only the best players from each zone will play the main tournament.

TN skipper Vijay Shankar, however, wants to avoid placing too much emphasis on the new format. "I do not want to think too much about these things. As players, it is important to focus on playing well and winning as many games as possible. If we do that, then most of the players for South Zone will come from TN," Vijay Shankar told TOI on Wednesday (January 25).

"We have a very good team. There is definitely a feel-good factor within the side. We are confident of a good showing. All the players have been performing well. It is now just a matter of going out there and doing well," the allrounder added. The squad is currently involved in a preparatory camp at Chepauk for the inter-state tournament that will start in Chennai from January 29. Vijay Shankar is a key member both with the bat and the ball and one of his biggest challenges would be to ensure that his own performances don't get affected by the burden of captaincy. While he has only captained the likes of Vijay CC and Indian Bank in the TNCA first division league, the allrounder feels he will be up for the job leading TN.

"I will definitely enjoy captaincy. Even when I am playing just as a player, I like to think a lot about the team. Leading Tamil Nadu has always been my dream. I am certain that I will enjoy the role and the pressure that comes with it," he said. Asked whether he would seek the advice of the experienced Abhinav Mukund and Dinesh Karthik on specific tactics, he added: "I haven't spoken to them but will definitely be open to taking their advice so that TN benefit as a team."

What should help Vijay Shankar go about his job is the fact that the Tamil Nadu squad for the tournament, which was announced on Wednesday, wears a fairly settled look with S Harish Kumar and R Sanjay Yadav being the only two rookies in the squad.

Both Harish and Sanjay had earned their place in the squad after doing well in the inaugural edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League for Lyca Kovai Kings and Thiruvallur Veerans respectively. While Sanjay, who plays in the second division of the TNCA league for TI Cycles, was the second-highest run-scorer behind B Aparajith for Veerans in TNPL, medium-pacer Harish was Kovai's leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets.