Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai all-rounder, came to his team’s rescue once more in a vital Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu and Kashmir, scoring his second century in first-class cricket.
New Delhi: Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai all-rounder, came to his team’s rescue once more in a vital Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu and Kashmir, scoring his second century in first-class cricket. The aggressive right-hander reached his century off just 105 balls at the BKC Ground in Mumbai, with his knock featuring 17 boundaries.
At 33, Shardul Thakur walked in to bat with Mumbai in a difficult position during their second innings, at 91/6. Key players like Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shreyas Iyer had already been dismissed, leaving Mumbai on the brink, with a narrow lead of just five runs.
Shardul Thakur then chose to take an aggressive approach, counter-attacking with determination, while receiving valuable support from Tanush Kotian at the other end. Shardul reached his century in the 60th over of Mumbai’s second innings.
Upon achieving the milestone, he raised his arms in celebration, visibly energized and gesturing toward the Mumbai dressing room. The commentator dubbed him the “lion of Mumbai cricket” in recognition of his performance.
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💯 for Shardul Thakur 🙌🙌
A crucial knock under pressure 👏
The celebrations say it all 👌#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/oYXDhqotjO pic.twitter.com/o3XQIjzRAH
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 24, 2025
Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian combined patience with bold strokes to rescue Mumbai and give them a significant advantage in their Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir.
At the close of play on Day 2, Mumbai’s total stood at 274/7, with Shardul on 113* and Tanush on 58*. Mumbai now hold a commanding lead of 188 runs.
Shardul scored fifty in the first innings:
Shardul Thakur demonstrated his batting prowess, contributing 50 runs in the first innings to help Mumbai surpass the 100-run mark. His 51-run knock was crucial in lifting the hosts to a total of 120 runs, after Mumbai had been struggling at 47/7 at one point.
Mumbai then bowled out Jammu and Kashmir for 206, giving them an 86-run lead. On the second day’s morning session, it seemed like Jammu and Kashmir were on track for a comfortable victory, but Shardul and Tanush Kotian’s resilience allowed Mumbai to fight back.
Shardul Thakur was recently left out of India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, with his most recent international appearance being in December 2023 against South Africa.
Shardul also went unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shardul said, “What can I talk about my quality? Others should talk about it. They should see that if someone has quality, he should be given more chances.”
“I like batting in difficult situations. In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up the show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome that challenge,” he added.
