Shardul Thakur Reveals Journey Back To IPL: How quickly the time ticker changes is anyone’s guess. For instance, ask Shardul Thakur, an India cricketer with over 80 international caps, with an experience of a decade in the IPL and a key member of CSK’s title-winning teams in 2018 and 2021, who went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction, but now not only is back in the competition; he’s holding the Purple Cap following the SRH vs LSG encounter.
Hailed as ‘Lord Shardul,’ Thakur helped LSG beat a dangerous Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their own backyard on Thursday night, as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) showed other franchises that SRH can be beaten in Hyderabad, and they did it in an emphatic fashion.
LSG captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bowl first. Thakur took two important wickets in the third over of the match, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan on consecutive balls.
Head, Klaasen, and Reddy all got starts, but none could play a match-defining knock. Thakur returned in the death overs and claimed Abhinav Manohar’s wicket. He recorded his second four-for in the IPL with Shami’s wicket and finished the night with his best-ever IPL figures of 4/34.
SRH posted 190, which LSG hammered down on the back of a blazing knock of 70 (26) from Nicholas Pooran in 16.1 overs.
Shardul Thakur Reveals Journey Back To IPL
Thakur, who could make his return to India’s Test team for the tour of England after the IPL, had gone unsold in the mega auction. He then signed a County deal with Essex.
After receiving the Man of the Match award in Hyderabad, Shardul Thakur revealed that he had gotten a call from Zaheer Khan, who is LSG’s mentor and bowling coach. He first joined the franchise as a net bowler when their preparatory camp started and then was roped into the squad as a replacement for the injured pacer Mohsin Khan.
Thakur said, “Honestly, no, but I had made my plans. I also planned to play County cricket if I was not picked in the IPL. Zaheer Khan had called me when I was playing in the Ranji Trophy, and he told me that you may be called in as a potential replacement, so don’t switch yourself off. If you are called in as a replacement, you are likely to start.”
Apart from Mohsin, LSG are also missing Mayank Yadav and Akash Deep, both injured, while Avesh Khan missed LSG’s first match of the season against Delhi Capitals. This resulted in Shardul Thakur bowling the first over—what a story: from going unsold to opening the bowling. Against DC, in a high-scoring encounter, Thakur bowled well to return with 2/19 in two overs, taking both his wickets in his first over.
With six wickets in his kitty now, Thakur is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.
“I have always backed my skills. Some swing, and what I have seen in the past, Head and Abhishek love to take their chances, so I thought I will take my chances as well. New ball is a thing where you can take wickets when it’s swinging, and I took my chances tonight,” he explained his mindset against the deadly opening combo of Head and Abhishek.
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