Shardul Thakur joins Essex for seven County Championship games
"Personally, it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills," said Thakur.
Shardul Thakur last appeared for India in December 2023. The pacer since then has been out of the playing XI. This was mainly due to his injury and after recuperation. He is currently playing for the Mumbai side in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25. As the 33-year-old showed his prowess with the ball and played some crucial innings for Mumbai with the bat, he has been signed by Essex in a seven-county-game contract.
It is worth noting that Thakur will be available for the first leg during April and May in 2025. The right-arm pacer had registered himself in the IPL 2025 mega auctions and unfortunately went unsold. He has decided to use the two-month window and will be seen donning the Essex whites. With over 100 wickets across all three formats for India, this will be Thakur’s first county stint.
Also Read: Shardul Thakur reveals conversation with Rohit Sharma on sidelines of Ranji Trophy 2024-25
"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,” said Thakur.
Chris Silverwood, Essex's returning director of cricket, also expressed his excitement over the signing.
"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.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," said Silverwood.
Thakur is aiming to get back to the India setup after helping Mumbai reach the semi-finals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25. He has scored over 400 runs and picked 34 wickets at an impressive average of 21.67. He was overlooked as Nitish Reddy was preferred for the Australia tour and will like to get back to the playing XI with some good performances.
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