Murali Vijay

Profile

For someone who picked up the game at the tender age of 17, Murali Vijay has sure come a long way. A prolific scorer in the domestic circuit, the Tamil Nadu opener got his lucky break when in 2008; Gautam Gambhir was banned for a test against Australia.

The opener made a quietly confident start to his career making 33 and 41 on debut. However, the return of Gambhir meant that he had to wait until 2009 for his second chance. Vijay struck a fine 87 falling tantalisingly short of his maiden century. He played a part in the Bangladesh and South Africa Test series before making his ODI debut against South Africa in 2010. He was also a key member of Chennai in the 2010 IPL.

A batsman who epitomises effortlessness, Vijay has a wide array of shots but at times is criticized for not converting starts. In spite of that, he is seen as a potential player in Indian cricket.

Fast Facts

• Murali Vijay was the highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy in his debut season (2005), scoring 628 runs at an average above 50.
• His 221 with Sehwag against Sri Lanka in 2009 is the highest first wicket partnership in Tests at the Brabourne Stadium.
• Vijay scored a 56-ball 127 during the 2010 IPL, and with 417 runs was the second highest run-getter for Chennai in the tournament.
• In 2008, he put on 462 runs with Abhinav Mukund for the first wicket in a Ranji Trophy game.
• Vijay was the most successful batsman in the 2010 T20 Champions League.

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Career

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