Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25: Shardul Thakur whacks eight sixes in 28-ball 73 for Mumbai

Veteran India all-rounder Shardul Thakur made headlines with his exceptional knock in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 against Nagaland at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

After Mumbai came in to bat first, openers Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ayush Mhatre got them off to a stellar start, adding 156 for in a quickfire partnership. Mhatre smashed a whopping 181 off just 117 balls, lacing his innings with 15 fours and 11 sixes while Raghuvanshi scored 56 off 66.

However, after the blistering opening partnership, the other batters failed to amount for much until skipper Shardul took things in his hands. Coming in at No. 8, Thakur thrashed the Nagaland bowlers as he amassed an unbeaten 73 off merely 28 deliveries, hitting eight sixes. His knock pushed Mumbai past the 400-run mark, which proved way more than enough in the end.

This was Thakur’s fourth List A half-century. One of these came in an ODI against South Africa (50 not out in 2021-22), and another for India A against New Zealand A (51 in 2022-23).

Mumbai registers emphatic win

As Nagaland came out to chase, they did not have much to show in the top-order apart from their opener Sedezhalie Rupero's 53 off 110 as all the other batters were sent packing early. Jagadeesha Sucith was the lone warrior as he scored 104 off 97 with the help of seven fours and four sixes. However, apart the two batters, none of the others could even hold an end up.

Meanwhile, after shining with the bat, Shardul stole the show with the ball as well, bagging three wickets for 17 runs in five overs, including a maiden, to limit Nagaland to 214, helping Mumbai win by a massive margin of 189 runs.