From the start of the 2025 season, Shardul Thakur will play seven matches for County team Essex in Division One.
33 years old, Thakur has played 11 Tests, 47 ODIs, and 25 T20Is over eight years. This will be his first time playing on the English country circuit.
He scored 51 and 119 for his second first-class century last month against Jammu and Kashmir and followed that up with a brisk 84 against Meghalaya in the Ranji Trophy.
In an effort to show his form and fitness for a national team comeback-His last appearance was at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Thakur also took a hat-trick during this match.
“I feel very excited to join Essex this summer, bringing in fresh challenges and some opportunities to showcase myself. County cricket is something that I always wanted to experience and I’m glad to represent the Eagles,” Thakur was quoted as saying by Essex on their website
Chris Silverwood, director of cricket at Essex and former England and Sri Lanka coach, said: “We were very clear amongst ourselves that a high-quality quick bowler, with lower-order batting capability, was a key target for the Club this winter.
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“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.”
Thus, Thakur- who went unsold in the IPL mega auction for the 2025 season- will get plenty of game time and exposure to conditions in England to prove his match fitness and form before India embarks on a five-Test tour of England in June.
