Vijay Shankar reveals how Pakistani fan abused Indian players before India vs Pakistan clash during World Cup 2019

Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar on Thursday spilled that one day ahead of the much anticipated encounter between the arch-foes India and Pakistan in Manchester, a Pakistani fan tried to provoke him and his teammates.

Speaking to Bharat Army podcast, the all-rounder recalled that he had gone out for coffee with some of his teamates one day ahead of the match against Pakistan, when a Pakistani fan came and began abusing him.

"Few of us players had gone out for coffee one day before the game when a Pakistan fan came up to us and he was literally abusing us. So that was my first experience of an India-Pakistan game," Shankar said.

"We just had to take it. He was abusing us and recording everything, so we couldn't react. All we could do was sit and watch what he was doing," Shankar added.

The all-rounder, who was dubbed as a 3D player before the World Cup 2019 featured in just 12 ODIs and 9 T20I for the men in blue, however the 29-year-old made an immediate impression on his World Cup debut against Pakistan in 2019.

"So one day before the game, they told me, be prepared, you'll be playing. And I was like, 'OK.'" Vijay Shankar said on The Bharat Army's podcast.

Vijay Shankar, who was put in the playing XI, to replace Shikhar Dhawan made a useful contribution with the bat, scoring 15 runs in 15 balls as India put up a huge total of 336/5 in stipulated 50 overs.

During the marque clash held on 16th June, Vijay Shankar became the third bowler in the ODI World Cup history to take a wicket off the very first delivery he bowled.

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