India’s rising all-rounder Shardul Thakur was expected to get a place in the T20 World Cup after his inspiring performances.
Thakur played a key role for India in the historic Gabba win as he scored 67 runs and also scalped seven wickets in the Test match against Australia.
Subsequently, Thakur scored twin fifties in the Oval Test match against England and also picked crucial wickets of Ollie Pope in the first innings and then got the big wicket of Joe Root in the second innings. Thus, Thakur has done a fine job for the Indian team and he has performed up to the mark.
However, there was no place for the all-rounder in India’s 15-man T20 World Cup squad and he has been added to the stand-by players’ list along with Deepak Chahar and Shreyas Iyer.
Thakur told TOI, “Yes, I am a little disappointed. It’s everyone’s dream to play and win the World Cup for your country. If you talk about the Oval Test, then yes, it (my performance) was (in) red-ball format. But if you see, I have done well in both the departments in white-ball cricket too over a period of last two years. Now I’m a part of the reserves for the World Cup, so I guess I have to be ready. I can get a call-up at any moment.”
On the other hand, Thakur revealed that he has a good relationship with Indian captain Virat Kohli and the skipper has supported him. Thakur has grabbed his chances and has lived up to the expectations every time he has been given the opportunity by the team management.
“My relationship with him is very good. We often joke about a lot of things. At times, I try to pull his leg too, but only if he is in a mood. After all, there are many things that he needs to handle. I like to play under his captaincy. We go through different moods on the field. He has been very supportive and always motivates us to perform to our maximum potential.”
Shardul Thakur has shown an upward swing in his improvement graph and he has certainly taken giant strides at the top level. Many cricket experts reckon that Thakur can end India’s search for a genuine seam-bowling all-rounder in Test matches as Hardik Pandya has not played the format since 2018.
Thakur will now be seen playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
