'Fighter' Shardul Thakur spends entire night in hospital, immediately returns to bowl for Mumbai in Irani Cup

India allrounder Shardul Thakur is currently busy playing in the ongoing Irani Cup match between Mumbai and the Rest of India. The bowling allrounder is plying his trade for reigning Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai.

The allrounder is yet to make a big impact with either the ball or the bat in the game but has already won over the fans with his sheer dedication for the game. Shardul Thakur already has a number of nicknames and it won't be surprising if the fans start calling him the 'fighter' in the coming days.

The Mumbai star walked out to bat on day two of the game while having a high fever. He was down with a fever right from the first day of the game. He played a handy knock of 36 runs while running a fever of 102 degrees and also shared a crucial 73-run stand with Sarfaraz Khan. The partnership helped Mumbai cross the 500-run mark and also helped Sarfaraz complete his double century.

While batting, Shardul Thakur's health deteriorated due to dehydration and he had to be rushed to the hospital. He was taken to the hospital at the end of the day's play at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

'Fighter' Shardul Thakur returns:

Shardul Thakur's participation in the match looked as good as over once he was admitted to the hospital. He has to spend the entire night in hospital. However, the fighter that he is, Shardul left one and all surprised by returning to the field after the tea break on day 3.

Even though he did not bowl on Thursday (September 3), he decided to roll his arms on Friday. With Mumbai in desperate need of a wicket, Shardul decided to contribute with the ball.

He bowled his first over of the match in the 79th over to get into the groove before delivering three overs with the second new ball as soon as it was available. Overall, Shardul bowled four overs and conceded 17 runs without picking up a wicket.

Talking about the game, Mumbai took the first-innings lead and ended day four on 153 for 6. They have extended their lead to 274 runs. Opener Prithvi Shaw top-scored for Mumbai on Friday, scoring 76 runs. Sarfaraz and Tanush Kotian will resume the proceedings with the bat on the final day.

Earlier in the match, Mumbai piled up 537 runs in the first innings thanks to Sarfaraz's unbeaten double-century. In reply, the Rest of India were all out for 416 runs.