Team India cricketer Shardul Thakur played some handle knocks in the lower-order in the recently-concluded ODI series against New Zealand. Although the visitors went down in the series, Shardul’s performance caught everyone’s attention. And now, he is aiming to contribute significantly and donning the hat of an all-rounder.
The cricketer from Mumbai claimed four wickets including a two-wicket haul in the three-match series. Meanwhile, it was in this game where he slammed a 15-ball 18 (3×4) at No. 8, but it couldn’t help India cross their 274-run target. As a result, the Men in Blues fell short by 22 runs.
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Shardul Thakur has also represented India in 15 T20I matches along with a solitary Test match. However, his participation in the Test against West Indies was restricted to only 10 balls as a groin injury ruled him out of action. The 28-year-old cricketer is yet to cement his berth in the India side and is eyeing to evolve as an all-rounder to make things fall in place.
“In my head, I am already a bowling all-rounder, but I have to dish out some strong performances for the people to recognise it. I will have to go out there and prove it. That’s the plan,” Shardul said to mid-day.com
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Meanwhile, speaking about how his batting evolved, Shardul Thakur slammed the Mumbai Cricket Association for not realising his potential. The fast bowler, who worked extremely hard to reach this stage, admitted that it was only Chandrakant Pandit joined as the Mumbai, coach he managed to bat higher.
“I have either batted at No. 9 or 10 for Mumbai. There were some guys, who never believed in my ability but when I played under coach Chandrakant Pandit, I made some useful contributions with the bat. He encouraged me to focus on my batting.
During the injury period [foot surgery], I decided to make a conscious effort to bat. I would visualise various situations to bat in and what would be my approach. In the Indian team, they always back me and I’ve been told that I will bat at No. 8,” Shardul Thakur concluded.
Meanwhile, with the ICC T20 World Cup looming ahead in Australia later this year, Shardul Thakur will look to warrant a berth in the squad. However, with the omnipresence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami along with the rest, it looks like a difficult job for the Palghar-born Thakur.