Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur is eyeing his comeback to the Indian Test side for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and will kickstart the journey towards it with the Irani Cup tie against Rest of India. Thakur, who underwent an ankle surgery earlier this year, faces a steep challenge in finding his way back to the Indian side, given the long line of stars waiting for an opportunity already. Yet, he remains confident of donning the whites for India yet again and now has his sight fixed firmly on the Irani Cup clash in Lucknow.
Shardul Thakur not bothered with ‘limited’ chances
Ahead of the Irani Cup clash, Shardul Thakur expressed unhappiness over having limited opportunities to represent India over the years. He asserted that he had given his best in the few chances that he had gotten over the years. He went on to claim that both his success and failure depended on his teammates as well. Despite making his Test debut in 2018, Shardul Thakur has played only 11 matches so far – the ‘limited’ chances that he has highlighted.
“One must get those many opportunities as well to stamp himself. I have been a part of the Indian team for the last 7-8 years but how many matches have I played? So, whatever limited opportunities I got, I have given my best,” Shardul Thakur told Times of India.
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Shardul’s last Test appearance for India came in December 2023 against South Africa. Marking his return to competitive cricket with the Irani Cup, Thakur is now hell bent on finding a place in the squad for the gruelling series against Australia, the very tour that he was a part of in 2021 where he excelled with both bat and ball.
He explained why he would be a fine fit for BGT 2024-25, pointing out that he could be the useful fourth fast-bowling all-rounder that India used in overseas conditions. He added that he had fared well with the bat at the number 8 position in the past, and had taken crucial wickets for the team as well.
“Yes, the Australia tour is also on my mind. It is one place where the conditions are challenging, and the crowd is always involved in the game. It is a tour that a player would like to look forward to,” he added.
With Shami still recovering from his injury, Thakur has a couple of months in hand and the Irani Cup & Ranji Trophy season to impress the selectors and stand a chance to punch his ticket to Down Under.
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