India all-rounder Shardul Thakur has signed with Essex and will feature in seven matches in the County Championship. The 33-year-old has been terrific for Mumbai in the ongoing Ranji Trophy and that sparked the communication of his possible return to the India squad for the upcoming five-match Test tour to England. He was one of the probables for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well but the team management preferred Nitish Kumar Reddy.
In the Ranji Trophy, Thakur has scored 439 runs in nine matches and clinched 34 wickets at an average of 21.67 so far. He has been an asset for Mumbai and played a vital part in them qualifying for the semi-finals. After signing for Essex, Shardul talked about the opportunity and stated that he always wanted to play County cricket.
“I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer. 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,” Thakur said.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to get the signing of Shardul over the line. 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,” said Chris Silverwood, Essex’s Director of Cricket.
Shardul’s IPL 2025 prospect
Shardul went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. He flopped in the last couple of seasons and that played a part in the franchises not being interested in the cricketer for INR 2 crore, which was his base price. Meanwhile, despite signing for Essex, the all-rounder remains available to join any IPL team as an injury replacement.
One of the Essex spokespersons confirmed that in case Shardul is called up, he will be joining the IPL, despite having a contract with the county team.