India, May 23 -- Vijay Shankar's retirement announcement was something media outlets weren't prepared for. Not because they did not see it coming, but because he had faded from public memory. The "3D cricketer", as he playfully referred to himself in a statement laced with a pinch of salt, last played competitive cricket five months ago in January. Despite moving on from Tamil Nadu to represent Tripura, the 35-year-old Shankar looked far from finished, scoring an unbeaten 151 in that match.

Vijay Shankar was never the ideal all-rounder for India. He wasn't the fittest around, didn't have pace, and wasn't a remarkable batter. But the man is a pure soul, and whatever cricket he played, he did it with earnestness. Which is why what happened...