Cricket’s transformation to colored jerseys happened in the late 1980s. And since then, without much debate and respecting every great ODI cricketer, no jersey has been as iconic as Sachin Tendulkar‘s No. 10. And when a Palgarh-born cricketer Shardul Thakur donned the legendary number, quite naturally, was bound to garner huge attention and responsibility. The iconic number, that too on his debut match. In this blog, we will look at Shardul Thakur’s career, his wife, records, stats, IPL, etc.

But like most cricketers rising from the domestic circuit, Thakur’s rise to success has not been a straightforward one. It has been a journey of sheer hard work, patience, perseverance, and some luck. Let’s get to know more about him.

Cricketer Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur Biography

Shardul Thakur was born to Narendra Thakur and Hansa Thakur in the small town of Palgarh, about a hundred kilometers from Mumbai.

He completed his schooling in Anand Ashram Convent English High School, Palgarh but later came to Swami Vivekanand International School, Borivali. Later, he completed his higher studies from the University of Mumbai.

Shardul Thakur Wife

In February 2023, Shardul Thakur got married to Mittali Parulkar. Mittali Parulkar is the wife of Shardul Thakur. She is a famous model and entrepreneur.

Shardul Thakur Career

His interest in education and studies was nowhere close to that in cricket and he had proved his talent since school cricket. He has an uncanny record for a bowler, of hitting 6 sixes in an over in a Harris Shield match and remains the 3rd player to do it.

The most sought-after fast bowler in Mumbai cricketing circles had a very modest start to his domestic career. The “Palghar Express”, as he is fondly known, had numerous tiring days which started with waking up at 3.30 in the morning.

A 3-hour journey to the southern tip of Mumbai for numerous days was a regular part of his life.OD The training at his club started at 7.30 am in the morning.

Domestic Career

Setbacks continued to occur; he was dropped from the U-19 Mumbai squad due to weight issues. He struggled and finally made his debut for the Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in November 2012 against Rajasthan in Jaipur.

Picking up figures of 1/82 proved it was quite underwhelming. He played 3 more matches that season and picked as many wickets at an average of 82.

He weighed 83 kg, a heavyweight for someone of his height and his fitness was no way close to that of an athlete.

The Rise

And he did it. In the next season in 2013, he shed 13 kgs and returned to play for Mumbai. Leaner, meaner and fast, he picked up 27 wickets in 6 matches at 26.25 with one 5-wicket haul.

He upped his game, even more, to take 48 wickets in 10 matches with five 5-wicket hauls and finished as the joint highest wicket-taker, along with Vinay Kumar in Ranji Trophy 2014. The 2015-16 season was another successful campaign for Shardul.

Mumbai won their 41st Ranji Trophy, while he picked up 41 wickets at an average of 24.5. He had two 5-wicket hauls, including one, when he picked 8 wickets in the final match against Saurashtra.

Two good domestic seasons and an India call-up was bound to come. He had established himself as one the premier fringe bowlers.

Shardul Thakur ODI career

Probably the most polarising day of his career. The date was 31 August 2017, ODI against Sri Lanka and Shardul Thakur makes his debut. What is so special about that? Well, he is donning the iconic number “10”jersey.

The iconic number was worn, got popular and reached legendary status when donned by the “God of Cricket“, Sachin Tendulkar.

He had a decent debut, registering a 1-26 in 7 overs. But the number on his jersey led to a lot of controversy and fans were not happy. They took him to the task and also questioned the cricket board’s respect towards Sachin and his fans. Social media was flooded that day, with Thakur being criticized for this move.

He switched his jersey number to 54 and has played 6 more ODIs since then taking a 4/52 in his third ODI. That remains his best return to date.

He, just like in his domestic career has proved that he can be handy at times with the bat too. He has a top score of 22* and also scored 17* runs of 6 balls against West Indies to seal the recently-concluded series for India.

In January 2023, Shardul Thakur took a total of 6 wickets in the ODI series against NZ. He was also the Player of the match in the 3rd ODI by scoring 25 runs with bat and 3 wickets.

In the ODI series against New Zealand in January 2023, Thakur claimed a cumulative total of 6 wickets. Additionally, he clinched the Player of the Match title in the third ODI, contributing 25 runs with the bat alongside taking 3 wickets.

T20I Career

Shardul’s debut for India in T20s came against South Africa in February 2018 and took 1/31 in 4 overs. His best figures of 4-27, came in the 2018 Nidahas Trophy which won him the “Man of the Match” award and India, the match.

He has bagged a total of 11 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of 8.41 runs per over. He has to improve his figures or else he will have to lose his place to bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini.

Test Career

Despite showing promise in the domestic circuit, he has just been unlucky to not play much test cricket. A major reason is obviously India’s furious frontline pace battery which has kept him on the fringes.

He was twice selected in the Test squad before making his debut, in 2016 against West Indies and in 2018 during the one-off test against Afghanistan but did not play.

Thakur finally made a debut to forget, against West Indies but could bowl just 10 deliveries before suffering from a groin strain.

In January 2022, in the 2nd Test match against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium, Shardul Thakur registered his first five-wicket haul in Test matches. There he also registered the best bowling figures for an Indian bowler against South Africa.

Shardul Thakur IPL Career

His IPL career began in a modest way, when he was bought by Kings XI Punjab in 2014 IPL auction for 2 million. He was quite expensive in his debut, taking 1-38 in four overs against Delhi Daredevils.

After an unimpressive campaign, he was released by KXIP and was visibly upset with that. He was picked up by Rising Pune Supergiants and this is where his career changed in T20s atleast. He gave a return of 11 wickets in 12 matches and was on the right path under the able leadership of MS Dhoni.

In 2018, he came to Chennai Super Kings and formed a formidable bowling partnership with Deepak Chahar. He has taken a total of 24 wickets in 23 matches and has been used in the death overs as well.

In February 2022, Shardul Thakur was bought by Delhi Capitals in the auction for the 2022 IPL tournament. In November 2022, Shardul Thakur was traded to the Kolkata Knight Riders in exchange for Aman Khan ahead of the auctions for the 2023 season of IPL.

CSK made the decision to bring Shardul back into their team during the IPL 2024 auction, securing him for Rs. 4 crore following his release from the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Mohsin Khan, a left-arm fast bowler who has been sidelined for the 18th season of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) owing to injury, has been replaced by Shardul Thakur of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

At his reserve price of INR 2 crore, Thakur, a seasoned all-rounder, was signed from the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP). Having played 95 games for five different teams, he is a proven performer for India in all three forms and offers invaluable IPL experience.

Bowling Style of Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur is a slightly different kind of bowler than most Indian pacers. Shardul is more of a “hit-the-deck” bowler and has a very accurate bouncer.

Over the years, he has matured and under MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming in IPL has developed his bowling in T20s massively. He now possesses few good variations, a very good slow ball and an outswinger being the prominent ones.

With his ability to swing the ball away at around 140 kph, it becomes very difficult to read him. Although he has been slightly leaky across formats, he has shown growth, especially in IPL.

Shardul Thakur Career Stats

Bowling

Batting & Fielding

Shardul Thakur IPL Stats

Batting & Fielding Stats

Bowling

Shardul Thakur Unknown Facts

• Shardul Thakur is great friends with fellow Mumbai batsman, Siddhesh Lad and was coached by his father, Dinesh Lad.
• Sachin Tendulkar is his favorite cricketer (No surprises there!).
• He loves to have seafood.
• Shardul Thakur is a handy lower-order batsman with 6 first-class half-centuries and a highest score of 87.

FAQs

1. Who is Shardul Thakur?

Shardul Thakur is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Indian national team and represents Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

2. What is Shardul Thakur’s bowling style?

Shardul Thakur is a right-arm medium pace bowler known for his ability to swing the ball away at around 140 kph.

3. What is Shardul Thakur’s highest score in international cricket?

Shardul Thakur’s highest score in ODI cricket is 50* against Sri Lanka, while his highest score in Test cricket is 67 against South Africa.

4. Which IPL teams has Shardul Thakur played for?

Shardul Thakur has played for Kings XI Punjab, Rising Pune Supergiants, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

5. Who is Shardul Thakur’s wife?

Shardul Thakur is married to Mittali Parulkar, a model and entrepreneur.

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