New Delhi, June 12: His performance in the recent times was not very impressive, excepting the Ranji Trophy last season. Ether playing occasionally for India or for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), all-rounder Shardul Thakur appeared a pale shadow of his potentials in last few months.
However, in the meantime Thakur has undergone a successful foot surgery in London. The surgery, which took place in London, was necessitated by a foot injury he sustained during the previous IPL season.
In a social media post on ‘Instagram’ Thakur shared his post-surgery photograph and wrote in the caption, “Operated successfully.”
During his debut Test against the West Indies, Thakur sustained a groin injury, and a hamstring issue kept him out of the iconic Lord's Test against England in 2021. Earlier this year, an ankle injury during the South Africa tour forced him to miss a crucial Ranji Trophy clash against Kerala.
Despite these setbacks, Thakur made a strong return to India’s premier first-class tournament, the Ranji Trophy, and asked for the BCCI to provide longer breaks in the schedule to ensure players have adequate recovery and preparation time.
The IPL 2024 season was a tough one for Thakur. In nine matches, he managed to take only five wickets, with an economy rate of 9.76 and an average of 61.80, far below his usual standards. His most challenging game came in a must-win match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he recorded figures of 2/61 from four overs. Despite taking the key wickets of Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell, Thakur’s expensive spell marked the second-worst figures by a Chennai Super Kings bowler in IPL history, second only to Lungi Ngidi’s 0/62.
Thakur’s last appearance for the Indian team was in December 2023 during a Test against South Africa at Centurion. It was a difficult match for him, as he finished with figures of 1/101 in an innings defeat by 32 runs.
Despite this, Thakur’s resilience and determination shone through in the Ranji Trophy, where he was instrumental in Mumbai's victorious campaign. He scored 255 runs and took 12 wickets in five games, earning the Player of the Match award in the semi-final against Tamil Nadu with a stunning century and four-wicket haul.
After the successful foot surgery, hopefully Shardul Thakur may excel again as an all-rounder and earn back his place in the Indian team. (With IANS support)
