Shardul Thakur openly revolts against Gautam Gambhir in Australia before Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Once hailed as a Border-Gavaskar Trophy hero, Shardul Thakur has sent a powerful reminder of his abilities after being sidelined from India’s plans under new head coach Gautam Gambhir.

The star all-rounder was overlooked in favor of Nitish Kumar Reddy for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia with Gautam Gambhir confirming they moved on from Thakur.

Shardul Thakur shines bright in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 after being overlooked for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

A few days after Gautam Gambhir’s surprising statement, Shardul Thakur delivered a match-defining seven-wicket haul against Services in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match in Delhi.

His exceptional figures of 4/46 and 3/39 have propelled Mumbai to the brink of victory at the Air Force Complex ground in Palam, New Delhi, needing just 111 runs on the final day.

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It was Thakur’s strongest performance since recovering from foot surgery earlier this year. This surgery sidelined him from the action after playing through pain during Mumbai’s triumphant Ranji Trophy campaign earlier this year.

Despite being sidelined from India's plans for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the 33-year-old has refused to let setbacks define him. With this stunning return to form, Shardul Thakur has reignited hope of making a comeback to the Indian cricket team.

I haven’t had any communication yet: Shardul Thakur on Gautam Gambhir's 'moving forward' claim

Addressing Gautam Gambhir’s statement that “the decision to pick Reddy ahead of Shardul is also about moving forward,” Shardul said that he has not yet received any communication from the national selectors about his future in the team.

Shardul Thakur was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “I haven’t had any communication yet. I have just returned from surgery, so it’s obvious that’s the reason I am not on the team at the moment. However, my fitness is in great shape now, and since the Australia tour is a long one, opportunities can come anytime.”

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The all-rounder further explained, “Following that, the England team is also coming to India for white-ball matches, then there’s the Champions Trophy, so there’s a lot of cricket ahead. So, there will surely be chances somewhere down the line. My only focus at the moment is to further improve my fitness, work harder on my bowling, and always give 100% when I step onto the ground.”

Shardul Thakur opens up on comeback journey and format shift

Sharing his journey of battling to regain his rhythm this season after making a comeback from injury, Thakur revealed that he had a bit of hesitation while starting in the first one or two matches, but his confidence gradually developed since he continued playing matches post-surgery.

He further affirmed, “Now, I have achieved 100 percent fitness, and it’s reflected in my bowling as well. In the past three or four matches, I have been bowling in full rhythm. Although quite a few catches were dropped, so the wickets aren’t reflecting on the board. If those catches were taken, I would have had around 20 wickets in five matches. But that’s part and parcel of the game.”

In the end, Shardul emphasized that switching formats is challenging but manageable with experience gained from white-ball cricket. He also claimed that format shift is an opportunity for bowlers to recover, with shorter spells in T20s helping maintain physical freshness.