Shardul Thakur has kicked off his IPL 2025 season in a big way. It’s hard to believe he went unsold during the mega auction not too long ago, but now, he’s turning heads by claiming six wickets over just two matches. The 33-year-old found a spot with the Lucknow Super Giants because Mohsin Khan had to sit out with an injury. Talk about stepping up to fill big shoes!
In his opening game against the Delhi Capitals, Thakur grabbed two wickets. Then in his next match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he took things up a notch, securing four more. This impressive performance earned him the player-of-the-match title. He managed to dismiss both Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan during that game. The way he got Abhishek out was particularly interesting—he bowled a short delivery, and Abhishek just could not connect properly, sending the ball straight into the hands of Nicholas Pooran.
After the match, Avesh Khan was joking around with Abhishek and Ravi Bishnoi and quipped, Only God and Shardul know where he’ll bowl. No one else knows where he’s going to bowl! It’s clear that Thakur has a knack for keeping batters guessing. Just after taking out Abhishek, he also caught Ishan behind the stumps. He didn’t stop there, as he also shone in the later stages of the innings, dismissing Abhishek Manohar and Mohammed Shami too. Thanks to Shardul’s spectacular bowling display, the Lucknow Super Giants managed to hold Sunrisers Hyderabad to a total of 190 runs and clinched the match by five wickets.
This isn’t the first time Thakur has achieved a four-wicket haul in the IPL; it’s actually the second time in his career. Currently, he’s sitting pretty in second place for the Purple Cap, which goes to the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. The only bowler ahead of him is Noor Ahmad from Chennai Super Kings, who has snagged seven wickets in just two games. Fans will be keen to see if Shardul can surpass the Afghan bowler in their upcoming match against Punjab Kings on April 1 at home. It’s shaping up to be an exciting match with Shardul’s talent in the spotlight!
