Shardul Thakur, India and CSK’s all-rounder, feels thrilled playing IPL with MS Dhoni captaining again. Dhoni, one of cricket’s all-time greats, excites Shardul Thakur who seeks learning opportunities from the legend.
Shardul Thakur crucially contributed in Mumbai’s 42nd Ranji Trophy triumph, defeating Vidarbha in Thursday’s final. Scoring tons against Tamil Nadu semi-finals, followed by a pivotal half-ton securing finals, he proved instrumental for Mumbai’s success.
Shardul Thakur spoke to news agency ANI following Mumbai’s victory and offered his opinions on playing for CSK under Dhoni’s shrewd guidance.
“I do not have a plan of action for the IPL. Dhoni sahab is there. He is one of the greatest cricketers ever in the world. I will play under him again and I have played under him before, so I will try to learn a lot of things and how he gets performances out of players.”
Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur played for CSK from 2018 through 2021. He grabbed 21 wickets across 16 games when they lifted the IPL trophy in 2021’s edition. The versatile cricketer then donned Delhi Capitals’ jersey in 2022, subsequently joining Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2023 season.
On March 22, CSK will face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium in the IPL 2024 season opener. Last season, they defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets [DLS method] to win the IPL for the fifth time.
“Whenever you win a trophy, your confidence increase” – Shardul Thakur on Ranji Trophy triumph
Speaking about Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy victory after a difficult season, Thakur stated that winning a trophy boosts a player’s confidence. Mumbai recovered from difficult positions in both the semifinal and final of the event.
“Whenever you win a trophy, your confidence increases and it gives you an edge over other players and teams. You have a lot of confidence. We as players make an effort to continue the momentum we get from our performances.”
Shardul Thakur
Vidarbha started Day 5 on 248/5, chasing an unlikely score of 538 to win the Ranji Trophy 2024. Akshay Wadkar (102) and Harsh Dubey (65) provided some hard resistance. Tanush Kotian, on the other hand, led the way with 4/95 as Mumbai bowled their opponents out for 368.