Forgotten Indian star Shardul Thakur has continued his amazing form in the Ranji Trophy tournament for Mumbai. The 33-year-old picked a hattrick in the final game of the season against Meghalaya on Thursday. The home side were tottering at 40/7 after 15 overs.
Thakur first dismissed Balchander Anirudh for a three-ball duck on the fourth ball of the third over. On the very next ball, Thakur had Sumit Kumar caught by Shams Mulani for a golden duck. Meghalaya had lost four wickets for just two runs inside the first three overs of the game.
The hattrick arrived when Thakur castled Jaskirat Singh for a first-ball duck to give Mumbai a great start to the game. Mohit Avasthi had picked up three wickets to help the defending champions make a great start to the game. Ajinkya Rahane-led side had lost the last game to Jammu and Kashmir, making this a must-win affair.
Shardul Thakur calls for united effort from Mumbai
Speaking to the media ahead of the key game against Meghalaya, Shardul Thakur said to Indian Express “Longer format is an emotional roller coaster ride; one session can take the game away. The player who has observed must have learned from it. Be humble and be respectful; I don’t take anything or anyone lightly. The message from the coach and captain is simple. We need to stick together and play together as a team.”
The 33-year-old also said, “It’s about believing. When chips are down, we have to believe that we can come on top. We need to trust our preparation and execute our skills; we will be good. As Mumbai team, whenever we are pushed back on the wall, we have emerged on the top. We are hoping to play with that kind of attitude what we have been doing over the years. I think we will be fine."
Shardul Thakur last played for India during the South African tour in 2023. In his last game against J and K, Thakur scored 51 and 119 with the bat and also picked two wickets. The veteran star is hoping to make a strong comeback to the side, especially in the Test format, with a huge tour of England set to begin in June.