Shardul Thakur to play for Essex in County Championship in fresh bid to make India's Test squad for England tour
Shardul Thakur has agreed to a seven-match County Championship deal with Essex from the beginning of the 2025 season.
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur will represent Essex in the upcoming County Championship after he agreed to a seven-match deal, beginning the 2025 season in April and May. The 33-year-old will now look to make the most of this opportunity as he has eyes set on making a comeback into the Test team.
India are slated to travel to England for five Tests later this year, and if Shardul Thakur performs well, he will strengthen his case to be included in the squad.
Recently, Shardul Thakur was not named in India's squad for the five-match Test series against Australia. Head coach Gautam Gambhir had indicated that the management is looking past Shardul, and hence, a youngster like Nitish Kumar Reddy was picked for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The fast-bowling all-rounder has represented India on 83 occasions across all formats, taking 129 wickets, including 31 in 11 Test appearances.
His international debut came in August 2017 in an ODI against Sri Lanka. His maiden Test appearance followed just over a year later, at home against the West Indies.
He has taken a total of 296 first-class wickets at an average of 27.45, and he also has over 2,000 runs to his name in the format, with two hundreds and 15 half-centuries.
Thakur’s recent form has been exceptional. In a recent Ranji Trophy game against Meghalaya, he hit 84 off 42 and took a hat-trick on his way to match figures of 8/91. Just one match before that, he also hit 51 and 119 against Jammu and Kashmir, sharing a vital stand of 184 for the eighth wicket with Tanush Kotian.
'Feeling excited to join Essex'
Shardul Thakur said that he is really excited to join the county and he cannot wait to excel in new challenges and opportunities.
“I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer. Personally it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills," he said in an official statement.
“County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I’ll be representing the Eagles," he added.
Essex Director of Cricket, Chris Silverwood, added that the county is thrilled to get the Indian star on board.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to get the signing of Shardul over the line. We were very clear amongst ourselves that a high quality quick bowler, with lower-order batting ability, was a key target for the Club this winter," he said.
“In Shardul, we have signed just that, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Essex and see how he gets on in the County Championship," he added.
Recommended Topics 