Murali Vijay - An underrated veteran

The mid-2000s was a transitional period in Indian cricket. Veterans like Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly were struggling with injuries and dipping performances. That’s when young faces like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh stepped in. However, this is another name that made its presence felt at that time - Murali Vijay. A right-handed opening batsman, Murali Vijay’s cricket career has been a roller coaster ride in terms of performance graph in various formats of cricket.

Murali Vijay Personal Details:

Murali Vijay - Highlights of his Domestic Career

Vijay got his start in cricket at the age of 17 when he started playing club cricket representing Alwarpet in Chennai. Soon, he made his way to Tamil Nadu Under-22 squad for two seasons. But Vijay’s true breakthrough came during 2006-07 Ranji Trophy, his debut first-class season, where he was third-highest run scorer in the tournament. To learn more facts about his domestic career, have a look at the following points:

1. His 462-run partnership for the opening wicket with Abhinav Mukund in a Ranji Trophy, was the second highest in the world, falling two runs short of the world record.
2. Throughout his career in first-class cricket, Vijay has scored 9158 runs from 134 matches. Among these runs, there were 25 centuries and 38 half-centuries.
3. Vijay’s biggest score in first-class cricket is 266 which came during a crucial Irani Cup match against Rajasthan in 2012.

Murali Vijay Test Career Insights

Murali Vijay made his Test debut in the last test match during 2008’s Border-Gavaskar trophy. About his playing style in Tests, he is known to have defensive gameplay wherein he measures his big hits carefully. As a result, at crucial points, Vijay was able to stick on the crease for longer durations to help put up bigger scores for the team. Here are some more facts about Murali Vijay’s Test performance.

1. Vijay’s efficiency in fielding caught everyone’s eye in his debut Test match. His quick reflexes lead to Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey’s wickets being taken, both of which were run-outs.
2. In 61 Test matches, he has scored 3982 runs, out of which there were 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries.
3. Murali Vijay’s batting skills were at its peak in the March 2013 match against Australia. In that match, he scored his career-best score of 167 off 361 balls. The score included 23 fours and 2 sixes.

Murali Vijay IPL Performance

While Vijay was doing wonders in Test, his performance in ODIs did not show promise after a few good performances. But, on the other hand, Vijay’s performance graph in IPL was soaring new heights. So, as he moved away from ODIs, we started seeing the best of him in the Indian Premier League. From Chennai Super Kings to his stints with Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab, here are some facts about his career in IPL.

1. Murali Vijay has been awarded the Man of the Match on multiple occasions, especially during his stint with CSK. One such occasion was the season 4 finals where he scored 95 off 52 balls.
2. However, Murali Vijay’s highest score in IPL is 127, from a 2010 Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals match.
3. His second century too came during a crucial IPL qualifier match in 2012. He scored 113 runs off 58 balls with a strike rate of 194.82.

Murali Vijay Career Stats

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