After agreeing to a contract with the English county team for the 2025–2026 season, Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur will play for Essex in the first round of the County Championship. On Tuesday, February 18, the club made the deal official. Thakur will play in seven tournament games.
Mumbai’s Shardul Thakur has been playing well in the Ranji Trophy 2024–25 campaign. He has accumulated 402 runs at an average of 40 ahead of the semifinals. He has taken 34 wickets at an average of 21.67 with the ball. In the match against Jammu and Kashmir, he saved his team with a century (119).
I Am Feeling Excited to Join Essex This Summer – Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur chose to play County Cricket within the same window after failing to sell in the IPL. He can’t wait to play for Essex in the forthcoming County Championship season. If he is signed as an injured replacement, he is still eligible to play in the IPL. This possibility was also verified by an Essex spokesman.
“I am thrilled to be joining Essex this summer. For me, it offers fresh challenges as well as chances to demonstrate my abilities. I’ve always wanted to play county cricket, and I’m happy to be playing for the Eagles,” Thakur remarked.
In Australia, Shardul Thakur was passed over for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
They lost 1-3 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, and Shardul Thakur was left from the roster. Additionally, he was a candidate for the coveted ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The 33-year-old Mumbai all-rounder is excited about his first experience playing English county cricket.
Since making his debut in 2017, Thakur has been in and out of India’s teams in a variety of forms. He has participated in 11 Test matches out of 91 first-class games. With a best record of 7-61 against South Africa in 2022, Thakur has claimed 31 Test wickets. In addition, he has played for India in 25 Twenty20 Internationals and 47 One-Day Internationals since 2023.
Chris Silverwood: “I’m so happy to have Shardul’s signing over the line.”
Chris Silverwood, the cricket director for Essex, said he was thrilled to have Shardul Thakur join the team. “Thakur can contribute with the bat, which is a positive for the club,” Silverwood said.
“To get Shardul’s signing over the line, we’re absolutely thrilled,” Chris Silverwood stated. We were quite clear that the club’s first priority this winter was to get a top-tier quick bowler with lower-order batting prowess.
“In Shardul, we have signed just that, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Essex and see how he gets on in the County Championship.”
After Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay, and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Shardul is the most recent Indian international to play in the County Championship at Chelmsford.
His goal is for their campaign to get off to a good start. As they attempt to win their first Championship championship since 2019, their first test will be against the reigning champions, Surrey, at home.
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