Shardul Thakur called up by Essex for County Stint which will see the India all-rounder play 7 games between April and May.
Shardul Thakur has signed to play for Essex in the opening block of County Championship games.
The 33-year-old Thakur will be available for seven games in April and May of this year.
Thakur, who was available after going unsold in the November IPL auction, will be playing his debut stint in county cricket. In all three forms, he has claimed over 100 wickets for India; his most recent outing was during the 2023–24 tour of South Africa.
Domestically, he has been playing well, helping Mumbai advance to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals with over 400 runs and 34 wickets at 21.67. During the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India selected Nitish Kumar Reddy as their all-rounder. Although he excelled at batting, his bowling lacked penetration.
“I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer,” Thakur said. “Personally, it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills. County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I’ll be representing the Eagles.”
Following in the footsteps of Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay, and India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, Thakur is the most recent India international to play County Championship cricket at Chelmsford.
When Essex plays the defending champions, Surrey, at home in the opening round, the all-rounder will be paired with fellow overseas bowler Simon Harmer. Essex wants to get off to a fast start in hopes of winning the Championship for the first time since 2019.
Following in the footsteps of Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay, and India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, Thakur is the most recent India international to play County Championship cricket at Chelmsford.
When Essex plays the defending champions, Surrey, at home in the opening round, the all-rounder will be paired with fellow overseas bowler Simon Harmer. Essex wants to get off to a fast start in hopes of winning the Championship for the first time since 2019.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to get the signing of Shardul over the line,” Chris Silverwood, Essex’s returning director of cricket, said. “We were very clear amongst ourselves that a high-quality quick bowler, with lower-order batting ability, was a key target for the club this winter.
“In Shardul, we have signed just that, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Essex and see how he gets on in the County Championship.”