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Shardul Thakur rescued Mumbai from a batting collapse in the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy 2024 against Tamil Nadu on Sunday (March 3). His scintillating century in the lower order helped his team recover from a precarious situation and take a sizeable first-innings lead.
The Tamil Nadu side batted first in the contest and got bundled out for 146 on Day 1. Mumbai's batting unit tumbled in response as Tamil Nadu bowlers reduced them to 106/6. Indian players like Prithvi Shaw (5), Ajinkya Rahane (19), and Shreyas Iyer (3) were back in the hut without contributing much.
Shardul Thakur walked in at this juncture and played a wonderful knock to put his team in a dominating position. He perfectly mixed caution with aggression and took his side ahead by building partnerships with Hardik Tamore and Tanush Kotian.
In the process, he brought up his maiden FC century in just 89 balls. Shardul eventually got out for 109 (104) in the 86th over after securing a decent first-innings lead for his side.
Fans hailed Shardul Thakur for his brilliant century in a crunch situation for Mumbai in the knockout game. Here are some of the best reactions on X:
Shardul Thakur will represent CSK yet again in IPL 2024
After a couple of seasons, Shardul Thakur is back with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL ahead of the new season. He was with Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders over the past few years in the lucrative league but did not get proper chances to show true potential.
CSK brought Thakur back at the IPL 2024 auction last December to reunite with him. He was with the CSK side between 2018 and 2021 and also won the trophy.
Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel about his homecoming in the IPL, Shardul Thakur said:
"Yes, they bid for me, but they also like me as a player, and they trust in my abilities. Also, when I played with them from 2018 until 2021, they invested a lot in me and gave me a lot of game time in the IPL. There were a lot of ups and downs for me in the IPL, but they backed me completely until the last game of the tournament."
He continued:
"In fact, we lost the final; I didn’t have a great final. Despite that, they backed me, and two years later, I had the fortune of experiencing the championship with them. I was the highest wicket-taker for CSK in 2018 and 2021, when we won. So, both the championships. I have a feeling I might repeat it this time."
Do you think CSK will successfully defend the trophy in IPL 2024? Sound off in the comments section below.
