The 1980s were the year cricket switched to colored jerseys. It has been a long time since Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 jersey was made. This was not surprising considering that a Palgarh-born batsman wore the famous number. This is a huge responsibility. Just ask Indian bowler Shardul Thakur.
This is the iconic number that Thakur played in his debut match. Thakur's rise has been difficult, just like the rise of most domestic cricketers. It has been a journey that involved hard work and perseverance as well as some luck. He has yet to be confirmed in the starting team, but the number on him speaks volumes about his expectations of Shardul Thakur. Let's discover more about him.
Shardul Thakur Biography
Shardul Thakur was an infant born to Narendra Thakur und Hansa Thakur in Palgarh. It is located about a hundred kilometers away from Mumbai.
He was educated at Anand Ashram English Convent High School, Palgarh. Later, he went to Swami Vivekanand International School, Borivali. Later, his higher studies were completed at the University of Mumbai.
Shardul Thakur Career
His interests in education, studies and a cricket were far from his passion for the game. He had proven his talent even before he started school cricket. He is still the 3rd player to accomplish this feat with 6 sixes per over in Harris Shield matches.
His domestic career started off with a modest start. He was not the most well-known fast bowler of Mumbai cricketing circles. The "Palghar Express", a nickname he was fondly known for, had many exhausting days. He started his day by waking up at 3.30 am in the morning.
He started his morning training at his club at 7.30 a.m.
Domestic Career
As a result of his weight issues, he was eventually removed from the U-19 Mumbai team. He struggled but finally made his debut for Mumbai against Rajasthan in Jaipur in the Ranji Cup in November 2012.
It was disappointing when he picked up figures of only 1/82. He played 3 additional matches and picked up as many wickets in the same season at an average rate of 82.
He weighed 83kg. For someone of his height, that is quite heavy. And his fitness was far below an athlete's. Shardul had no choice but to undergo a transformation.
The Rise
He succeeded. In 2013, he lost 13 kilograms and returned as a Mumbai player. He was leaner and quicker, picking up 27 wickets at 26.25 in 6 matches with one 5-wicket haul.
He improved his game and took 48 wickets, in 10 matches, with five 5-wicket grabs. He finished as the joint highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy 2014. Shardul was a successful player in the 2015-16 season.
Mumbai won their 41st Ranji Trophy. His average run of 24.5 runs per wicket saw him pick up 41 wickets. He scored two 5-wickets, including one against Saurashtra, and he also picked up eight wickets in the final match.
He was bound for two more good domestic seasons as well as an India call-up. He was now a leading fringe bowler.
Shardul Thakur ODI career
This was the most controversial day of his professional career. It was 31 august 2017, and Shardul Thakur, an ODI match against Sri Lanka, made his debut. What is it that makes this so special? He is sporting the #10 jersey.
The iconic number was popularized by Sachin Tendulkar, who wore it until it reached legendary status.
He had a decent start, scoring 1-26 in 7 innings. Fans were not happy about the number on Sachin's jersey. They confronted him and also challenged the cricket board to show respect for Sachin and his fan base. Thakur was heavily criticised for his actions on social media that day.
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He changed his jersey number to 54. Since then, he has played 6 moreODIs and took a 4/52 performance in his third. He remains proud of this record.
As in his domestic careers, he also proved that he was a good batsman. He finished with a score of 22* and scored 17* runs on 6 balls against West Indies, to complete the recently concluded series for India.
Shardul Thakur IPL Career
Shardul played his first T20 match for India against South Africa, February 2018. He scored 1/31 runs in just four overs. His best numbers, 427, came in 2018 Nidahas Trophy. He won India, the match, and the "Man of Match" award.
He has collected a total 11 wickets from 9 matches and an average economy of 8.41 run per over. He has to improve or he'll lose his place in the team to bowlers like Khaleel Ali and Navdeep Singh.
His IPL journey began modestly. He was purchased by Kings XI Punjab during the 2014 IPL auction, for 2,000,000. He was extremely expensive, playing 1-38 in just four overs against Delhi Daredevils.
He was unhappy with the KXIP release and complained about his unimpressive campaign. Rising Pune Supergiants resigned him and this was where his life changed.
He was able to return 11 wickets in 12 matches.
He came to Chennai Super Kings in 2018 with Deepak Chalhar and formed a formidable team of bowlers. He has taken 24 wickets across 23 matches and has also been used for the death overs.