The second coming of lord Shardul
Shardul Thakur has seen it all in the last couple of years. The long period out because of injury in 2024 hadn’t helped either as he not only lost his place in the Indian set up, he even went unsold in the IPL auction. But he never gave up.
“I felt bad when I wasn’t picked for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India’s tour of Australia).
For the first few days it seemed all was lost. But then I asked myself if I wanted to get back and try again or if I wanted to give up. I had my answer and have enjoyed each moment since,” said Thakur, who was drafted in by Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement for their injured left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan just before the IPL’s 2025 season began.
In just two matches, Thakur has shown he is not done yet.
The 33-yearold Mumbai allrounder hit the ground running with two wickets in his first over of LSG's season-opener against Delhi Capitals and then claimed 4/34 in the next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
One of the few players who prioritised domestic cricket even before the BCCI diktat, Thakur is all about effort. He may not be the most talented player around, but he makes up for it by sheer hard work. The relentless pursuit of improvement, staying relevant and making a difference to his team have always been his trademarks.
If things go well, Thakur is likely to be part of the India A squad against the England Lions and could even make the starting eleven at Leeds on 20 June, when India play England in the first of the five-Test series.
What makes Shardul different? First is his fearless approach. Be it Travis Head or anyone else at the other end, Shardul is never overawed. Rather, he enjoys the challenge as was evident in Hyderabad where he produced a match-winning performance for LSG.