Persistence pays off: After going unsold, Shardul in limelight again

When you have broken through the ranks to the Indian cricket team at 26 and have to drop out of an ODI event and your debut Test match; both due to a groin strain, you gain the wrong kind of reputation.

- Rasesh Mandani

MUMBAI: Especially as a fast bowler, where fitness is non-negotiable.

Ever the consummate trier, Shardul Thakur found a way back to international cricket with his heroics in the epic 2021 Brisbane Test match. For Indian cricket, it marked the discovery of a new pace bowling all-rounder for overseas conditions.

It's difficult to predict if early success in the IPL can lead to bigger things for the 33-year-old but it's been another display of his spirit. He was unsold in the player auction, roped in as late replacement by Lucknow Super Giants and now, two matches into the season, is top of the wicket-taking list.

When LSG mentor Zaheer Khan was left scurrying for options after his entire first line of pacers, all big money buys were unfit before the season began, he knew Thakur was the man to turn to. With Thakur, he knew what to expect. If nothing else, he would control the controllables, a mantra Zaheer lived by and excelled as an international fast bowler.