Shardul Thakur declares war on Gautam Gambhir’s favourite Harshit Rana: "I’m eyeing No.8 spot for 2027 World Cup"
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Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was picked for the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, but the bowling all-rounder failed to make an impact in the series, leading to his snub. However, he has claimed to make a comeback for India in the World Cup Squad for 2027.
India have already started their preparations for the 2027 ICC World Cup with their recent series against Australia. Nitish Kumar Reddy and then Harshit Rana featured as the lower-order batting and bowling all-rounder for India.
Gautam Gambhir has sidelined the finest of bowlers in the Indian team, including Kuldeep Yadav, as he has given more importance to batting depth over just specialist bowlers. Under a similar ideology, Shardul Thakur was also picked for the England tour.
Shardul Thakur eyes World Cup return ahead of 2027
Shardul Thakur, the Indian bowling all-rounder, who is known for his limited impact with the bat alongside his bowling skills, has revealed his aim to return for India ahead of the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup and has targeted the no. 8 spot.
Thakur might have brought himself within the scheme of things, after Gautam Gambhir's strategy had mostly favored players like him, who can create an all-round impact. Thakur has evolved as a batter, at the back of several stunning first-class performances.
Harshit Rana has been picked for the same reason, since he can have some exploits with the bat alongside his bowling. However, the South African tracks call for pacers who can deliver with more pace, unlike Shardul Thakur, who depends more on variations in limited-overs cricket and has an awful economy.
I'm eyeing the No. 8 spot for the 2027 World Cup: Shardul Thakur pic.twitter.com/PFO23W9C7t
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 28, 2025
Shardul Thakur is yet to make an impact after the Ranji captaincy
After Ajinkya Rahane stepped down from Mumbai Captaincy, Shardul Thakur was handed the captain's band for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. His stint has started well as a skipper, having won the first match against Jammu & Kashmir, and then the second match was drawn against Chhattisgarh.
However, Shardul is yet to make an impact this season with either the bat or the ball. He has picked only three wickets this time in four innings and has not delivered with the bat as well. However, during Mumbai's previous Ranji season and the Duleep Trophy for the West Zone, Shardul delivered quite stunningly with the bat.
The Ranji Trophy dominance was one of the main reasons for his return to the IPL for the Lucknow Super Giants as well as the Indian side on their tour to England.
Shardul Thakur's domestic stats in First-Class Cricket
The 34-year-old cricketer might no longer be a regular player in the Indian side; however, he has been going hard at the domestic level. Especially in the longest format of the game, Shardul boasts a batting record of 2697 runs in less than 100 First-class appearances.
With two hundred and seventeen half-centuries, he averages nearly 23, which seems decent for a batter coming in at no. 8 or no. 9. With the ball, he has picked 305 wickets. He has also represented India across all three formats and has scored a half-century not only in Test but also in One-day internationals for India.
Shardul can also be one of those big-hitting finishers who often play some useful cameos down the order, from a non-specialist batter. Overall, though his chances stand strong, Shardul will have to work a lot on his bowling to come close to any selection probability.
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Shardul Thakur Gautam Gambhir Harshit Rana India National Cricket Team Ranji Trophy Mumbai Ranji Team
