Star Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur is optimistic about playing for India once more in the future. Shardul Thakur has made numerous game-changing batting efforts for Team India in all three formats of the game. The Mumbai-born cricketer, 33, last represented India in the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa in December 2023 at Supersport Park in Centurion.
In the two innings of that game, Shardul Thakur scored 24 and 2 runs while taking one wicket. He hasn’t had an opportunity to play for India in any format since being left out of the playing XI for the second Test. In Mumbai’s sixth Elite Group A encounter against Jammu and Kashmir, Shardul scored 51 and 119 runs for the team captained by Ajinkya Rahane.
In the subsequent match against Meghalaya, he took four wickets in each innings, securing Mumbai’s decisive victory by an innings and 456 runs. In the first innings of that match, Shardul Thakur scored 84 runs from just 42 balls with the aid of nine fours and five sixes, earning Mumbai his maiden hat trick in the Ranji Trophy.
“I Am Always In Contention,” Says Shardul Thakur
Despite being out of the national team radar, Shardul, who has been in red-hot form these days for Mumbai, both with the bat and ball in the Ranji Trophy, asserts that he is “always in contention.”
Thakur helped the 42-time Ranji champions take a significant lead in the first innings of their quarterfinal encounter against Haryana at Eden Gardens in Kolkata by dismissing six Haryana batsmen for 58 runs. Speaking to reporters after the end of the third day’s play in Kolkata on Monday, Shardul said,
“When there’s no place in the team, there’s naturally disappointment. And, when you’re not playing, sitting idle at home, you tend to think about it more.”
“But once I step onto the field, my entire focus is on the match—whether it’s club cricket, Ranji Trophy, IPL, or playing for India. To me, every cricket match is the same, regardless of the level. I always aim to give my best in whichever game I play. I don’t have any other thoughts.”
In the 2021 Test series against England, Shardul Thakur was India’s standout player. Shardul Thakur had scored 267 runs and took 8 wickets in 3 matches. Thakur hopes to play for his country once more under English conditions. From June 20 to August 3, India and England will play a five-match Test series.
“Yes, absolutely. I believe I’m in contention. The next step is to make my place in the team and earn selection. That’s always the goal,” he said. “Right now, I’m playing at the Ranji Trophy level. International cricket is the highest level we all strive for. It’s always on my mind; it’s the motivation to play for the country that drives me forward. That passion, that fire, never fades.”
Shardul Thakur Open To Play In County Cricket
Thakur is willing to play county cricket in order to get experience in English settings after being unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
“If I get an offer, I’ll definitely play. It would be a great new experience. Right now, there are no concrete plans, but county cricket has 6-7 matches around that time. If selected, it will help me adjust to English conditions before the (England) tour,” he said.