Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur has expressed support for teammates Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer, attributing their recent poor form to a mere “rough patch” influenced by unfavorable circumstances.
In the Ranji Trophy 2024 final against Vidarbha, both Rahane and Shreyas managed to score only 7 runs each. Rahane’s season statistics include 141 runs in eight matches with an average of 12.81 and just one half-century.
Meanwhile, Shreyas participated in just three Ranji matches this season, accumulating 58 runs. Additionally, he featured in two Tests against England during the tournament, posting scores of 35, 13, 27, and 29 before being excluded from the playing XI.
“Ajinkya is not scoring runs throughout the season. He is not in the greatest of the forms,” Thakur said after the first day of the final. “We cannot blame him as it is just a phase for him where he is not getting runs.”
“It’s just a rough patch for them. That’s what I would say [about] Shreyas [and] Ajinkya. These guys have been absolute match-winners for Mumbai and India.”
“Right now, it’s not their time; it’s time to support them rather than criticizing them because it’s easy to criticize,” he added.
Entering the crease with the score at 111-6, Thakur once again emerged as the top scorer for his team in the tournament, showcasing an impressive 75 (69) to propel them to a total of 224. This innings mirrored Mumbai’s consistent pattern throughout the season, marked by middle-order setbacks followed by resilient lower-order comebacks.
“Ajinkya has not scored runs but his attitude on the fielding is top-notch,” Thakur added.
“A lot of youngsters coming from Under-23 and Under-19 cricket in Mumbai don’t have the attitude that he has. You see him in the slips, even if he is fielded for 80 overs, he will sprint [to] save four runs.”
“Shreyas moves around the field like a tiger. He absolutely gives everything that he has on the field. Both of them are role models when they are in the dressing room,” Thakur concluded.
Thakur openly voiced his critique of the young player Bhupen Lalwani. Despite Lalwani’s opening innings contribution of 37 (64), Thakur emphasized the importance of learning to convert those starts into significant contributions for the team.
“I thrive in challenging circumstances when I’m on the field”- Shardul Thakur
Thakur credited his resilience and capability to perform in challenging scenarios to the hardships he faced in the early stages of his career, stating:
“I love to play in tough situations and tough conditions. The kind of life that I have lived travelling far from Palghar to Mumbai with the kit bag on the train, you know it was not easy. That has toughened me up.”
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