Over the past couple of years, Shardul Thakur has quietly been a regular member of the Indian cricket teams, especially in Test matches. He often gets selected as the fourth seamer when conditions require the team to choose between including both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
As the ODI World Cup approaches, Thakur is now in contention for the No.8 position in the team. This role would allow him to balance seam-bowling duties with Hardik Pandya, while also providing valuable batting skills and the ability to hit well lower down the order.
During the ODI series against West Indies, Thakur got the opportunity to showcase his abilities. Though chances to display his batting prowess were limited, he made a significant impact with the ball. In the three games, he took an impressive eight wickets at an average of 11.62. This outstanding performance further demonstrated his value to the team. Notably, he achieved his career-best figures of 4 for 37 in the crucial deciding match in Trinidad.
Thakur admitted that it is a natural situation where a few players could have an eye on World Cup selection, he himself is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way and is not looking too far ahead. He is, however, aware of what he brings to the table. “As an all-rounder who bats in the lower order, my role also becomes important. We’ve seen, in longer chases or if you want to post a big total, you will look to accelerate and lose one or two wickets here and there. If the No. 8 and No.9 can contribute with someone who has batted deep, that role is really important,” Thakur said after India’s 200-run win.
Thakur further added to his words and says about the performance he is putting into. Being a bowling all-rounder who can bat in the lower order at the crucial point of the game is not easy. He said:
“Whenever I get an opportunity, I just try and contribute towards the team’s success. That’s my thought process – whether it’s in batting, bowling, or fielding. I’m not the kind of player who plays for his place in the team. If I play with that thought, I don’t think I’ll be able to play,”.
“Even if the management doesn’t pick me for the World Cup, it will be their call, I can’t do much. It will be wrong of me to think that I need to play for my place, that I’ll do my job and leave. I’ll have to see what the match situation is, and what the requirement of the team is whether I get personal success or not. That is one thing I keep repeating – no matter what, I’ll try to play for the team and make an impact.”
“I missed just one series – the home series against Sri Lanka. Not sure why I wasn’t picked for that. But I’ve been a part of all the one-day teams in the last two years. Whenever I get a chance to play, I remind myself that the team has confidence in me, and that’s why I’m a part of it. Even in this series, I got an opportunity and I could pick eight wickets.”
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