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On the first day of their Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai's all-rounder Shardul Thakur came to their team's aid. Shardul's quick 51 off 57 balls helped the team reach the 100-run milestone while playing at the BKC Ground in Mumbai. This was one of the many this season that Shardul saved Mumbai from dire circumstances. The star cricketer expressed his desire to make his India comeback in a statement following the first day of the match.
Shardul has not played for India since December 2023. In addition to overlooking the all-rounder for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India chose to give young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy a debut during their spin-heavy home season. In an interview with the media on Thursday, a dissatisfied Shardul suggested that perhaps the Indian team should provide more opportunities to players of merit.
"What can I talk about my quality? Others should talk about it. They should see that if someone has quality, he should be given more chances. I like batting in difficult situations. In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up the show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome that challenge," Shardul Thakur told the media.
His actions brought to mind Thakur's first-ever First-Class century in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal last season when he scored a 105-ball 109 at No. 9 with 13 fours and four sixes. His century helped Mumbai defeat Tamil Nadu by an innings and 70 runs, moving them from 106 for seven to 378. This victory was Mumbai's 43rd championship. Thakur suffered another blow last December when he failed to see a buyer at the IPL mega auction. For Thakur, however, "forgetting the past" is essential.
“You have to forget whatever has happened in the past; it is not going to change. It is important to be in the present and think about what you can do in the near future,” he said. Shardul ended as the equal third-highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 15 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 10.51. In comparison, he grabbed 10 wickets in seven games at an economy of 6.56 in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy.