'Zaheer Khan Kept Me On Stand-By': Shardul Thakur Opens Up On His Amazing IPL Return

IPL 2025: Shardul Thakur makes a sensational return to IPL, after going unsold in the Player Auction. Read below for details.

Shardul Thakur rattled the SRH top-order, which helped LSG control the flow of runs in the powerplay

Source : PTI

IPL 2025: Indian veteran Shardul Thakur has made a sensational return to Indian Premier League after remaining unsold during the Player Auction for the 2025 edition. The all-rounder has come in as a late replacement for injured Mohsin Khan, in the Lucknow Super Giants squad, and the move has paid dividends forthe franchise, as the player produced a Man of the Match performance against last season's runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony, the former CSK & KKR player revealed that LSG Mentor & Bolwing coach (Zaheer Khan) kept him on stand-by, and that, he should 'keep his plans ready'.

"[On expecting a late call to the IPL] Obviously no. But I was making my plans to play county cricket if I wasn't picked in the IPL but while we were playing Ranji Trophy I got a call from Mr Zaheer Khan saying that 'we are looking at you as a potential replacement, keep your plans ready," said Shardul Thakur.

"If you come in as a replacement, you will start.' That was the day when I got into IPL mindset again. Hopes came back. But otherwise I feel this is cricket and ups and downs keep happening. It was one bad day in the auction where no one picked me. But cricket's not over, my hopes are high. The talent and skills are there. So it's just about staying in the moment and taking it from there," said the 2018 IPL winner.

"[Bowling full early] Of course looking to swing and we have seen in the past that Travis Head and Abhishek love to take their chances so I said okay let me take some chances as well. Anyway they are scoring big totals every time they play here and majority of the time the runs are scored by top 3 and few runs in the middle by Klaasen also. New ball is something you can pick wickets with when it swings and I tried to do that tonight," said the Indian all-rounder.

"[On variations] Bowlers have got very little to do on this pitches. It should be prepared such a way that the game should hang in balance between batters and bowlers. After the impact rule coming in, it's not fair on the bowlers to see teams score 250/260/270 runs," he added.

Shardul Thakur's IPL Career In Numbers

Shardul Thakur has played for PBKS, RPSG, CSK, DC, KKR, and LSG in IPL ever since he made hsi debut in 2015. In his 97 matches, Shardul has scalped 100 wickets, with an economy rate of 9.22, and five 3-wicket hauls.

With the bat, the 33-year-old has 307 runs, and one fifty to his name.