India internationals Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were expected to make the headlines in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu and Kashmir. However, both the openers flopped and the hosts were in a state of bother at one point. They were reduced to 47/7 and needed a special knock to come out of the misery. That’s when Shardul Thakur stepped up and made 51 runs off 57 deliveries as the Ajinkya Rahane-led side posted 120 runs in the first innings.
Despite being a BCCI-contracted cricketer, Shardul is currently not in the scheme of things as far as international cricket is concerned. As per reports, his name was discussed for the series against Australia but the team management instead preferred inexperienced Nitish Kumar Reddy, who eventually turned out to be spectacular and it only meant that Shardul will have to grind harder in domestic cricket to raise a point.
He did live up to the potential against Kashmir with his valuable game. When the senior batters struggled to get going, the all-rounder raised his game and helped Mumbai fight back. Meanwhile, after the end of the day’s play, Shardul noted that he prefers batting in difficult situations as he likes to overcome challenges.
“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 told the reporters after stumps on Day 1.
Notably, Shardul had a rough time with the ball in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He failed to find a buyer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but the cricketer isn’t ready to think about the past and wants to focus on the present and prepare for the future.
“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,” Shardul said.