Mumbai vs J&K Ranji: Why Is Shardul Thakur Neither In Indian Squad or Any IPL Squad?
Shardul Thakur was the saviour for Mumbai in both their innings against Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing Ranji Trophy clash in Mumbai. Almost single-handedly he pulled his side back to a position of strength from almost being out of the game.
He has let his bat do the talking scoring a crucial 51 in the first innings and is batting in the 90s in the second innings. In the first innings with Umar Nazir breathing fire, Thakur brought back his team from 47/7 to 120. The runs in the first innings were not enough as Jammu & Kashmir scored 206 and took an 86-run lead.
The much-famed Mumbai batting lineup struggled in the second innings as well. Rohit Sharma and Yashavi Jaiswal who were dismissed in single-digits in the first innings managed 28 and 26 respectively. Nazir has picked up two wickets in the second innings while Auqib Nabi Dar three.
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Thakur and Tanush Kotian have added an unbeaten 140-plus stand taking Mumbai from 101/7 to over 250 when this article was written. The Indian all-rounder has once again proved his mettle with the bat as he scored a century in the second innings following up his fifty in the first innings.
In this match, while speaking to the reporters after his first innings heroics on day 1, Shardul Thakur highlighted how he is seeking to make a comeback into the Indian side. He spoke about performance and said that quality players should be given a chance to make a comeback.
In a match where the likes of Rohit, Jaiswal and Rahane have not scored too many against an inexperienced Jammu bowling attack, Thakur has made the difference with the bat and that too in both innings.
Shardul Thakur Played His Last Test In 2023
Thakur played his last Test match for India against South Africa in 2023. He played his last T20I for India in 2022 incidentally at Eden Gardens and his last ODI for India in the ODI World Cup 2023.
The all-rounder was ignored from selection from the India squad that travelled to Australia. Nitish Kumar Reddy was chosen ahead of him as the only seam-bowling all-rounder. While he scored the runs with the bat, he was not used too much with the ball. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja were the other options.
Incidentally, Thakur's best in Test cricket came against the Aussies in the 2021 Test series. He scored a crucial 67 in the first innings of the Brisbane Test and along with Sundar (62) added a 123-run stand to take India to 336 in response to Australia's first-innings total of 369.
India won the Test match due to Rishabh Pant's brilliance with the bat in the second innings when India chased 329 on day five. However, Thakur and Sundar were the unsung heroes of the Test match.
Thakur is amongst the most experienced seam-bowling all-rounders who are within the periphery of Indian cricket at the moment and certainly deserves a comeback.
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