India’s pace all-rounder Shardul Thakur has presented a compelling case to the national selectors and IPL decision-makers with two crucial knocks for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. On Friday, during the third innings, Thakur walked in with Mumbai in deep trouble at 91/6, holding a slim five-run lead over Jammu and Kashmir.
He smashed a brilliant century off just 105 balls, laced with 15 boundaries. This marked only his second First-Class century. You can watch the video here:
https://x.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1882745579627065495
When Shardul Thakur reached his century, Mumbai’s score stood at 250/7, with their lead extending to a healthy 164 runs. Similarly, in the first innings on Thursday, Thakur came to the crease in the 16th over with Mumbai struggling at 42/6.
Despite losing Shreyas Iyer soon after, he steadied the innings with a crucial 51 off 57 balls, helping Mumbai reach a respectable total of 120. Interestingly, Thakur went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, marking the first time since his debut in 2014 that he failed to secure a team.
In the 2024 season, he played for the Chennai Super Kings under a contract worth ₹4 crore. Thakur was overlooked for India’s Test squad for the tour of Australia, despite performing well in the previous series there.
Instead, the team, led by Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir, opted for young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. While Reddy contributed with the bat, he fell short as a fourth seamer. India went on to lose the series 3-1.
“Let Others Judge My Quality”- Shardul Thakur
At the conclusion of the first day’s play, Thakur remarked that excelling in favorable conditions is common, but he thrives on delivering in challenging situations, which hold greater significance. He urged the country’s decision-makers to provide more opportunities to individuals who possess true “quality.”
“Let others judge my quality. Those with talent deserve more chances. I thrive in tough situations; anyone can perform when it’s easy, but true skill shines under pressure.”
“You have to forget whatever has happened in the past; it is not going to change. It is important to be in the present and think about what you can do in the near future,” he said.
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