Shardul Thakur, the Indian pacer, has been praised for his outstanding performance in India’s third ODI against New Zealand at Indore, where he picked up three crucial wickets. On a ground that was tailor-made for the batters to dominate, Thakur picked up back-to-back wickets of Daryl Mitchell, and skipper, Tom Latham, to change the complexion of the game. With that, former India international, Irfan Pathan, believes that the 31-year-old will definitely be in India’s scheme of things during the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023.
Hailing Shardul Thakur, the former cricketer also mentioned that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad needs players like him who never give up. Pathan stated, “If you ask Shardul, he will be the No. 1. He bowled really well. He is a trier; he keeps trying. When you see him, you will always feel that he doesn’t have that kind of swing, he doesn’t have that kind of pace which is 140-plus consistently, but he will always be in your face. and he wants to keep taking wickets. You want guys like him in the team as well. With him, especially when you are talking about the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, you need at least six-seven options in your hand as far as the team combination is concerned.”
Irfan Pathan’s confidence in Thakur’s ability to make it to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad is not shared by former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. Manjrekar believes that Hardik Pandya can play a similar kind of role and thus, Shardul Thakur might not get the chance.
Sanjay Manjrekar stated, “I am not as certain about Shardul Thakur. There is a lot of time between now and the World Cup, and there are a few other contenders. There is Hardik Pandya also, who has a similar kind of role – batting and bowling. So, I agree Shardul Thakur will be in the plans, but I don’t know whether he will make it in the squad finally.”
While Sanjay Manjrekar’s skepticism about Thakur’s inclusion in the World Cup squad is understandable, it should also be noted that Thakur has been consistently performing well for India. He has been a regular member of the Indian team in all formats of the game, and his ability to bowl in the death overs makes him a valuable asset to the team. Additionally, Thakur’s batting abilities also make him a useful all-rounder, something that is always in demand in a World Cup squad.
Furthermore, it’s important to remember that there is still a lot of time between now and the World Cup, and a lot can happen in that time. There are many factors that will come into play when the selection committee is picking the team for the World Cup, and Thakur’s performance in the upcoming matches will be crucial. If he continues to perform well, he will be a strong contender for a spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad.
