‌Shardul Thakur joins Essex for seven-match County Championship deal

The 33-year-old has signed up with the County side for seven Championship games between April and May. Since going unsold in the 2025 Indian Premier League mega-auction last November, Shardul made a strong statement with his all-round skills for the Mumbai domestic side. 

Shardul smashed over 400 runs including a 51 and 119 against the Jammu and Kashmir side in the group stages. Additionally, he also bagged a six-fer and three-fer in the Quarter Finals against Haryana. 

"I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer," Thakur said. "Personally, it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills. County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I'll be representing the Eagles."

Shardul, who last represented India in the tour to South Africa, was dropped for the latest Border Gavaskar Trophy that India lost 1-3. Although Nitish Kumar Reddy, the preferred all-round choice for the series, got runs with the bat, failed to be lethal with medium pace. With India kicking off the next World Test Championship cycle in England, the selectors would be keen on watching how the Mumbai all-rounder excels in UK conditions.