'Unlucky Shardul proves his worth'

Thakur

IMAGE: Shardul picked up four wickets for 34 runs in his four-over spell and was awarded the Player of the Match. Photograph: BCCI

Former India international Robin Uthappa hailed Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) right-arm seamer Shardul Thakur following his exceptional show against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad, on Thursday.

Shardul picked up four wickets for 34 runs in his four-over spell and was awarded the Player of the Match.

He made early inroads by removing the hard-hitting young southpaws Abhishek Sharma (6) and Ishan Kishan (0) in his second over. He went on to remove Abhinav Manohar and Mohammad Shami in the death overs.

Speaking after the match, Uthappa stated that the all-rounder performed exceptionally well in domestic cricket, which was why the Lucknow-based franchise picked him up as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan.

"They say all's well that ends well, and right now, Shardul epitomises the adage. He was unlucky in the auctions -- he should have been picked and at a good price. But the dynamics of the auctions are unpredictable, and for some reason, he went unsold. I still find it baffling. However, he took it on the chin, went back to first-class cricket, and performed exceptionally well. To now come into the IPL and start off in this fashion is just incredible," Uthappa, a JioStar expert, said.

Further, the 39-year-old believed that Shardul must have bowled more overs in their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals. The experienced campaigner bowled only two overs in the match, taking two wickets while giving away 19 runs.

"He has so much more to offer. Even in the previous game, he showed that while he might concede a few runs, he always finds a way to produce breakthroughs. When he doesn't get wickets, he might seem expensive, but when he does, he's top-notch. I felt he should have bowled more in the first game, where he only got two overs. This time, I'm glad he completed his full quota of four," the former opener added.

With a base price of Rs 2 crore, Shardul went unsold for the IPL 2025. The seasoned all-rounder is now the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league, with six scalps in two games.