Shardul Thakur accuses Gautam Gambhir-led management of mentally disturbing him

Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur opened up about not being selected for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia, where the visiting team suffered a 1-3 defeat. Shardul Thakur said that the first two days were particularly tough after seeing his name missing from the India Test squad.

Shardul is known for delivering in crucial moments with both bat and ball. He has been absent from India's Test team since the 2023-24 South Africa tour. The all-rounder last played for India during the Centurion Test in December 2023. He was not included in India’s squad for the recent Australia tour.

It Was Quite Disturbing When I Saw My Name Was Not There - Shardul Thakur

In an interview with Boria Majumdar on Revsportz, Shardul Thakur admitted he was disturbed after being left out of the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He stated that ups and downs are part of the journey. Thakur decided not to dwell on the setback and focused on future opportunities.

"Initially, it was quite disturbing when I saw my name was not there when the team was selected. It was tough, but as professional cricketers, we understand that there are highs and lows in a career. What I thought at that moment was that if I wanted to achieve more in cricket, I could not dwell on the rejection anymore. There was optimism that if any opportunity came my way, I should be ready," Thakur said.

No Desperation to Put in Any Extra Effort - Shardul Thakur

The 33-year-old cricketer revealed that he focused on his basics rather than putting in desperate efforts. Thakur said that taking wickets at regular intervals and delivering performances in knockout stages serves as motivation for him.

"There was no desperation to put in any extra effort—I focused on my basics. If you ask me what makes me special while playing for Mumbai, I will say taking wickets at regular intervals and delivering performances in knockout stages. All these serve as motivation for me, and I believe that if I have already done these things, I can do them again," Thakur added.

"When the team came out for the Australia tour, my focus shifted to the Champions Trophy, IPL, and now this upcoming England tour. The motivation was there, and I worked hard accordingly," he continued.

Shardul Thakur Displays Outstanding All-Round Form in 2024-25 Ranji Trophy

Thakur displayed outstanding all-round form in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy. He averaged 40.2 with the bat and 19.96 with the ball. He scored a remarkable 119 against Jammu & Kashmir when the team was at 91/6. The pace bowler grabbed a hat-trick and finished with eight wickets in a must-win match against Meghalaya.

Meanwhile, Team India has suffered consecutive series defeats in the Test format. They first lost against New Zealand at home and then in Australia. With a challenging five-match Test series against England coming up in June, the team could benefit from recalling Thakur to strengthen their squad.

Also read: Shardul Thakur openly claims stakes in India squad for England Tests