PC: Revsportz Archive
Shardul Thakur, after a streak of brilliant performances in the domestic red-ball circuit has now been included in both the India A and main squad for the tour of England. Ahead of the high-stake five match Test series, acclimatising to English conditions is crucial. For the same, players are travelling in batches, with the management ensuring that the players get to England as soon as they are done with the IPL.
India A team is to leave for the UK tomorrow and one name that is a pleasant addition to the list is that of Shardul Thakur. This is because he is a part of Lucknow Super Giants and has played almost all games. But the franchise still has a game left with RCB on 27 May.
“Yes, we have allowed Shardul to leave for the UK. It is about national duty and we always want our players to do well for India. Shardul has done well for us and we wish him well”, said a source close to developments.
Having been added to the main squad, Shardul’s participation in the three games—two with India A and one intra-squad game, will be crucial to cement his place in the Playing XI. If he gets into good rhythm it could open doors for him for the first Test match at Leeds starting 20 June.
India lacked the services of a bowling all rounder in Australia and that’s where Thakur’s skills fit in very well. He is a handy number 8 bat and can easily bowl 12-15 overs a day while also picking up a couple of wickets. And that’s what India will expect from Shardul. With experience of having done well in the UK in 2021 and with a very good domestic season behind him, Thakur can be a really handy inclusion for India in England. And it makes every sense for him to leave early and get acclimatised with the conditions of the early UK summer thanks to the support of his IPL franchise.