T. Vijay is a lanky off-spinner with an uncomplicated action.

He gets the ball to drift and dip without losing accuracy for long. Combined with the turn on offer, these qualities make him a tricky bowler to face.

For much of his cricketing journey, however, Vijay had little idea about the finer aspects of the game. Hailing from Tekkali in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, he started playing cricket on the only cement pitch his town had.

“There is only one net and one cement wicket. There is nothing beyond that. I had no idea about turf wickets,” Vijay told The Hindu.

It was only after joining an academy in Vizianagaram that he encountered a turf wicket and gradually learnt more about the sport. “I learnt about strength training, fitness, running and everything else. Before that, I only knew how to bowl. I didn’t know much about other aspects of cricket or how professional cricket worked,” the 25-year-old said.

With the support of his coaches Vikram Verma and C.D. Thomson, whom he met in Vizianagaram, and his family, Vijay began his journey.

In four years of senior cricket, Vijay has played 19 First Class matches and taken 65 wickets. He has also featured in 14 List A matches and 11 T20s — performances that have drawn the attention of selectors and scouts.

He made his IPL debut in 2026 with Delhi Capitals, after which he featured in South Zone’s squad in the Duleep Trophy.

Subsequently, he received his maiden India-A call-up as well for the two multi-day matches against Australia-A.

Vijay is aware that traditional off-spin is a dying art in modern cricket and that’s exactly what pushes him forward.

“It motivates me to come out of my comfort zone. I want to show everyone that off-spinners can also do well in T20s and Test cricket. That’s my motto, and I will keep working hard and hope to do wonders,” Vijay concluded.

Day three washed out

Persistent rain overnight following Cyclone Arnab’s landfall brought an end to day three of the Ranji Trophy Group ‘B’ clash between Andhra and Chhattisgarh without any play here at the DVR Ground on Wednesday.

Both sides will hope conditions improve on the final day, with three points still in sight. Chhattisgarh is 15 runs behind Andhra’s first-innings total of 231 but has lost eight wickets. Amandeep Khare is unbeaten on 74 while Vijay has picked three wickets so far.