‘There were days I wept’

Vyshak has been included in the squad for the four-match series against South Africa, which starts in Durban on November 8

India announced their squad on Friday for next month’s T20I tour of South Africa, with RCB all-rounder Vijaykumar Vyshak earning his first international call-up.

The 27-year-old could not believe it when a selector told him he was selected to join the national side. Vyshak has been included in the squad for the four-match series, which starts in Durban on November 8.

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“I am speechless. An India call-up is what every cricketer aspires for. It’s a dream come true,” Vyshak told TOI.

Vyshak, with 99 wickets from 25 First-Class matches, joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as a replacement for Rajat Patidar two seasons ago. His impressive showing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23, where he took 15 wickets in 8 games, earned him the spot.

In total, Vyshak has played 30 domestic T20 matches, taking 42 wickets so far. He has also taken 34 wickets in 21 List A matches. Currently he is playing for Karnataka in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25.

Interestingly, it was ten years ago that Vyshak shifted gear from being a top order batsman to a bowler. His journey to becoming one of the most reliable bowlers has been quite challenging, especially because of his gluten allergy. He had to lose weight and focus on building his endurance to perform at this level.

“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.

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The Role of Bharat Arun in Vyshak’s Success

He also trained in Chennai with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun, praising him for helping turn things around in his career. Vyshak revealed that at one point, he broke down in tears while talking to his parents.

“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 3-4 sessions with him, and it worked wonders for me. I keep going back to work with Arun sir,” said Vyshak.

Over the past few years, Vyshak has developed into a more mature bowler, focusing on varying his pace and perfecting the knuckleball.

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