Ajinkya Rahane, a veteran batter, has praised Shardul Thakur, a returning all-rounder, ahead of India’s first Test in the five-match 2025 series against England. Headingley, Leeds, will host the start of the series on Friday, June 20.
Shardul last played in the format in December 2023 against South Africa at Centurion; this is his first time back with the Test team. The 33-year-old’s stellar domestic cricket achievements for Mumbai won him his recall.
Ajinkya Rahane lauded the all-rounder on Thursday, June 19, the day before the opening Test, saying he always rises up when things get tough. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, @ajinkyarahane88, the 37-year-old stated:
“Firstly, I’m really happy that he’s back in the team. He’s done really well for the Indian team in the Test format, and as I said, I’m really happy to see him back in the Test squad. He has performed really well in the domestic season — he’s a wicket-taker and contributes in crunch situations.”
Ajinkya Rahane
“He has done really well for Mumbai; whenever we were in trouble, he scored runs and picked up wickets for us. So I think Shardul’s inclusion in the team is really good, really positive, and I’m looking forward to his all-round performance in this upcoming India-England series.”
Ajinkya Rahane
In his 11 Test matches for India, Shardul has taken 31 wickets at a strike rate of 46.7 and an average of 28.38. Lower down the order, he has also contributed significantly with the bat, amassing 331 runs, including four fifties.
Ajinkya Rahane reveals key to getting the best out of Shardul Thakur
Ajinkya Rahane, who captained Shardul Thakur for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, also spoke in the same video how to use him most efficiently. The hitter with the right hand said:
“I think for Shardul, you just have to give him that freedom and clarity about the plans you have for him, and then give him a free hand. He has the ability and the skills. Whenever he’s bowling, as I said, he’s a wicket-taker.”
Ajinkya Rahane
“Whenever there’s a partnership, you bring in Shardul and he will get you that breakthrough. If the batting team is in trouble, Shardul will go out there and do his best to contribute with the bat and get the team out of trouble. That’s what he did in Australia, as we all remember, and even for Mumbai — whenever we were in trouble, he performed really well both as a batter and a bowler.”
Ajinkya Rahane
Shardul played under Ajinkya Rahane in the 202425 Ranji Trophy and grabbed 35 wickets in nine games with an average of 22.62. His batting average of 42.08 points to 505 runs, four fifties and one century as well.
