Team India’s star all-rounder Shardul Thakur will be in action in the upcoming Duleep Trophy as he is set to lead the West Zone. Ahead of the tournament, in an exclusive interview with RevSportz, Shardul spoke about his excitement for the tournament and the domestic season ahead.
“Duleep Trophy is one tournament where a player gets rewarded for their performance in previous seasons, or rather through the whole season. In fact, the top 15 players from each zone play in the tournament and the competition again gets tougher and a level up from what you play at state level, where there is a mix of strong and not-so-strong teams. Duleep Trophy, on the other hand, is a competition among the equals, so I would like to use this opportunity to express myself and show my talent,” Shardul said.
West Zone will be aiming for the title, with big names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, and Shardul himself in the squad. On being appointed as captain, Shardul said it will be a valuable learning experience.
“Of course, I’ve been given a role and I’m leading the West Zone. So, rather than a challenge, it’s more like an experience for me on the personal front, to understand what qualities a leader should possess. I believe I have a few, but using this tournament, I would want to enhance my leadership qualities further. I understand that as a captain, I will have to be available for the players, sit and discuss bowling styles and fielding positions, strategies etc, so yes, looking forward to what all is going to open up for me in this leadership journey,” he added.
However, Shardul did not enjoy the best of tours in England, where he played two matches and scored 46 runs in three innings, with a highest score of 41. With the ball, he picked up two wickets.
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