He has been a part of the Indian Premier League for over a decade. Apart from representing 5 franchises until the final season, he has featured in two title-winning campaigns. But, Shardul Thakur would have felt a number of butterflies whereas marking his run-up on Sunday night.
For the primary time, he was turning out for Mumbai Indians — his residence franchise. And Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy captain made it a memorable outing, returning Participant-of-the-Match figures of three for 39 in 4 overs in opposition to Kolkata Knight Riders, one among his former groups.
On a flat Wankhede monitor the place batters dominated and bowlers struggled to make an affect, Shardul’s variations in tempo proved decisive. Mixing slower balls, knuckle balls and change-ups, he struck in every of his first three overs to tug issues again after KKR’s explosive begin.
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“Firstly, he has the talents. He reads the sport very well and retains it easy,” stated KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has shared the Mumbai and India dressing room with Shardul. Rahane identified that the circumstances demanded smarter variations fairly than outright tempo, and credited Shardul’s expertise for executing these plans successfully.
Regardless of his expertise, Mumbai Indians didn’t pursue Shardul aggressively at any of the auctions. As an alternative, he arrived through a commerce from Lucknow Tremendous Giants throughout the pre-auction window — a transfer head coach Mahela Jayawardene described as ‘tactical’.
“To make use of Allah (Ghazanfar), and with Hardik additionally bowling up entrance, we couldn’t have too many new-ball bowlers. I wanted choices for the center and the again finish. That was the considering after we traded Shardul,” Jayawardene stated.
The transfer paid fast dividends. Shardul’s intelligent spell ensured KKR had been stored inside attain — a goal that Mumbai Indians chased down comfortably.
If the opening evening was any indication, Shardul’s long-awaited stint along with his residence franchise might effectively flip into a contented homecoming.
Revealed on Mar 30, 2026