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Shardul Thakur is set to play seven matches in the upcoming 2025 season of the County Championship. The 33-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder has signed up to play for Essex.
Thakur will be flying to the United Kingdom in April and May for these games. He went surprisingly unsold in the IPL auction for the 2025 season. Hence, he has decided to utilize the time honing his skills and gaining vital experience in England.
The Mumbai seamer is currently out of favour in all three formats for India. His last international appearance came in the Boxing Day Test in South Africa back in December 2023. Thakur was India’s premier choice as the seam-bowling all-rounder in Test cricket outside Asia. However, he took just four wickets in three Tests in 2023 and faced the axe. He wasn’t picked for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as India went in favour of Nitish Kumar Reddy who made his Test debut in Australia and impressed quite a bit.
However, Thakur has been in terrific form in domestic cricket. He has scored some vital runs in the lower middle-order which has helped Mumbai reach the semi-finals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25. He has amassed 439 runs in 11 innings while averaging 39.90 which includes three fifties and one hundred. With the ball, he has taken 34 wickets at an average of 21.67. He even took a hat-trick against Meghalaya.
Hence, if Thakur can back this Ranji performance with a good stint with Essex, he could be in with a real chance of making a comeback to the Test squad when India tour England in June-July later this year. In fact, the Palghar-born cricketer has a decent Test record in England – 173 runs and 10 wickets from four Tests.
Thakur excited to join Essex
Thakur admitted that County cricket is something that he wanted to pursue at some point in his career and he is excited for the opportunity. “I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer. Personally, it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills. County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I’ll be representing the Eagles,” Shardul Thakur was quoted saying after the Essex signing.
Essex have not won the County Championship title since 2019. Their opening fixture is against Surrey at the County Cricket Ground in Chelmsford which starts on the 4th of April.
