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Shardul Thakur joined the Mumbai Indians for the next season of the Indian Premier League. (PHOTO: Mumbai Indians)
Allrounder Shardul Thakur has been traded to the Mumbai Indians from the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2026, the franchise and the league confirmed on Thursday.
Shardul Thakur, a utility all-rounder known for his effective pace bowling and aggressive batting lower down the order, is a Mumbaikar and will turn up for his home franchise for the first time. After going unsold in the auction before the IPL 2025 edition, the 34-year-old was picked up by the Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 2 crore as an injury replacement for the 18th edition of the league and featured in 10 games. Overall in the IPL, he has played 105 games, taking 107 wickets, along with a highest score of 68.
More recently, Thakur has been leading Mumbai in ongoing Ranji Trophy season and also featured for India during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy during the English summer. In white-ball internationals, Thakur last played for India in an ODI against Bangladesh in October 2023 and played a T20I back in February 2022 against West Indies at Eden Gardens.
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After the last auction, Thakur found himself with no takers in the league, where he had previously turned out for five different teams – CSK in two stints, either side of playing for Punjab Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. The Indian Express had reported that Thakur reached out to several franchise owners before the auction and had gotten some assurances just before the event that he’d be looked at, but none of the 10 teams picked him during the two-day auction. Disappointed but resilient, Thakur quickly secured a contract with the English county team Essex, but had added a clause allowing him to leave if an IPL offer came through.
Then a phone call from former India pacer Zaheer Khan, who was working with LSG back then, alerted Thakur to a possible opportunity with the franchise after Mohsin Khan tore his ACL while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. True to his nature, Thakur started the season with a bang, even holding the Purple Cap for leading wicket-taker at one point. He finished the season with 13 wickets from 10 matches but was expensive, going at 11.03 runs per over.
“What is important for me is to keep playing matches and perform,” Thakur told PTI recently when asked about his future in the white-ball format playing for India. “To get back into the Indian team, I also need to keep having those good, match-winning performances, which is eventually going to help in the selection. And, yes, the ODI World Cup is also in South Africa so there might be a place open for a bowling all-rounder at No. 8. I am, of course, eyeing that spot. Whenever the Indian team needs me or whenever I am selected, I am ready to play international cricket. My preparation is such that if tomorrow I am asked to play international cricket, I am ready,” he said.
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