Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, India’s captain and coach, will be rooting for Shardul Thakur to be at his best when the country’s ICC title drought ends in the next month.
In place of Axar Patel, India’s left-arm spinner Shardul Thakur was named to the ICC T20 World Cup squad on Wednesday. Swapping Axar for Thakur is a no-brainer, as Axar will now be on India’s standby list for the championship event, which will be held in the UAE and Oman. Thakur’s exclusion came as a surprise even though the Indians had named five spinners in their preliminary squad with the conditions in the UAE and Oman in mind. The medium-all-around pacer’s abilities have impressed in all formats. In addition to his many variations with a ball in hand, he has also demonstrated his mastery of the long handle in the lower order.
Chennai Super Kings are currently leading the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) in the UAE, thanks in large part to his outstanding performances. As a result of his 13 wickets in seven games, he was instrumental in helping Chennai Super Kings reach the playoffs. The team won despite his poor performance in Qualifier 1 against the Delhi Capitals. For CSK skipper MS Dhoni, Thakur has been a go-to man who has frequently answered the captain’s call by picking up important wickets.
As Team India’s head coach at the ICC T20 World Cup, MS Dhoni could make the most of Thakur’s ability to use a change of pace, which could be critical.
Thakur’s IPL performance has been matched only by his international prowess while representing India in cricket. He’s taken 67 wickets for India in all formats and contributed well with the bat at the bottom of the order.
Thakur is one of a select group of cricketers whose abilities cannot be gauged solely by their past performances. He’s a utility cricketer who knows exactly what he’s supposed to be doing and always comes through when his team really needs him.
Even if he doesn’t have the best match figures, Thakur’s contributions with bat and ball are worth their weight in gold, regardless of whether they come during the Down Under Test series or the Oval Test match.
Both Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, India’s captain, hope that Thakur brings his A-game to the fore in the next month as India looks to end its ICC title drought.
