Shardul Thakur calls out Gautam Gambhir over Kuldeep Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran’s suffering

The Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has recently opened up about the challenges of waiting on the sidelines. Shardul Thakur was part of India’s squad during the recent five-match Test series against England but got only two games during the drawn tour.

The fast-bowling all-rounder played in the first Test at Leeds but struggled with both bat and ball, which cost him his spot for the following games. Thakur returned at Lord’s, where he managed a useful 41 runs but remained wicketless in 11 overs and was again dropped from the playing XI.

Shardul Thakur opens up on struggles of sitting out during England tour

Well, sitting out is not new for Shardul, but he admitted that it can get frustrating. He explained that players go through mixed emotions when they travel with the team but do not get the chance. Thakur noted that days feel long, and sometimes they even start questioning their role in the squad.

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Shardul also pointed out that others like Kuldeep Yadav and Abhimanyu Easwaran had an even harder tour of England. Despite traveling with the squad, neither of them got a single game as India leveled the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in England with a thrilling six-run victory at The Oval.

You go through a lot of emotions: Shardul Thakur on Kuldeep Yadav and Abhimanyu Easwaran warming bench

Shardul Thakur was quoted as saying by RevSportz: “On a few occasions, I was also in the same boat, being out and not getting enough games to show my potential. So yes, as a player, you go through a lot of emotions, and it's not easy to sit out. At some point, you'll feel bored and start questioning, 'What am I doing here? I'm not getting a game.’

But at the end of the day, there are two things, like I said before. First, not everyone is privileged enough to be on the Indian side; everyone will agree on that. And the second thing is, unfortunately or fortunately, the competition is so high in India. There are so many players, and only 11 of them play at the end of the day. Correct.”

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Shardul Thakur reveals how players cope with sitting out in Team India

Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur shared how players can deal with the tough phase of sitting out. He said that the players must accept that the Indian cricket team management always picks the best eleven based on pitch and conditions to remain positive. So, missing out on a match does not mean a player is less important, but it simply reflects the balance needed for that game.

The star all-rounder further stressed that staying positive and reminding himself that he is still part of the squad, traveling with the team, and learning from the environment have been a big motivation.

Thakur signed off by saying, “Yes, I am fortunate enough to be touring England or Australia, or also when you're playing in India, to be on the side, to be sharing the same dressing rooms and meals that the other guys are having.”

Notably, Thakur has represented India in 13 Tests, 47 ODIs, and 25 T20Is so far, scoring 377, 329, and 69 runs, respectively. The all-rounder also has 33 Test, 65 ODI, and 33 T20I wickets to his name.