Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was selected for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but the bowling all-rounder failed to make an impact in the series, which led to his omission. However, he has claimed to make a comeback for India in the 2027 World Cup squad.
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 joined as lower-order batting and bowling all-rounders for India.
Gautam Gambhir has sidelined the best bowlers in the Indian team, including Kuldeep Yadav, as he has given more importance to batting depth than just specialist bowlers. Under the same ideology, Shardul Thakur was also selected for the England tour.
Shardul Thakur eyes return to World Cup before 2027
Indian bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who is known for his bowling prowess as well as limited impact with the bat, has revealed his goal of making a comeback for India ahead of the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup and has targeted the number one position. 8 place.
With Gautam Gambhir’s strategy mostly favoring players like him who can make an all-round impact, Thakur might have found himself in the scheme of things. Thakur has developed as a batsman due to several impressive first-class performances.
Harshit Rana has been selected for this reason, because along with bowling, he can do some amazing things with the bat as well. However, South African tracks require fast bowlers who can bowl at higher pace, unlike Shardul Thakur, who relies more on variations in limited overs cricket and has very poor economy.
I am eyeing No. 8 spot for 2027 World Cup: Shardul Thakur pic.twitter.com/PFO23W9C7t
– RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) 28 October 2025
Shardul Thakur has not been able to make an impact yet after Ranji captaincy.
After Ajinkya Rahane stepped down from the captaincy of Mumbai, Shardul Thakur was given the captaincy of Mumbai in Ranji Trophy. His tenure as a captain has started well, winning the first match against Jammu and Kashmir, and then drawing the second match against Chhattisgarh.
However, Shardul has not been able to make an impact with either bat or ball so far this season. This time he has taken only three wickets in four innings and has not been able to perform well with the bat either. However, during the last Ranji season for Mumbai and the Duleep Trophy for West Zone, Shardul had a stellar season with the bat.
Ranji Trophy dominance against Lucknow Super Giants as well as the Indian team on the England tour was one of the main reasons for their return to the IPL.
Shardul Thakur’s domestic statistics in first-class cricket
The 34-year-old cricketer may no longer be a regular player for the Indian team; However, he has been working hard domestically. Especially in the longest format of the game, Shardul has set a batting record of 2697 runs in less than 100 first-class matches.
With two hundred and seventeen half-centuries, his average is around 23, which looks good for a batsman coming in at no. 8 or not. 9. He has taken 305 wickets with the ball. He has represented India in all three formats and has scored half-centuries not only in Tests but also in One Day Internationals for India.
Shardul can also be one of those big-hitting finishers who often plays some useful cameos from a non-specialist batsman lower down the order. Overall, although his chances are strong, Shardul will need to work a lot on his bowling to get close to any selection chances.
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