Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction, returned to the tournament as an injury replacement. Zaheer Khan, who is the mentor for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), reached out to Thakur during the Ranji Trophy knockout stages and advised him to stay prepared.
Shardul went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. The 33-year-old was also excluded from India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. He played a crucial role in India’s victory at the Gabba in 2021, where he contributed a match-winning 67-run knock and claimed an impressive seven-wicket haul (7/69).
Shardul Thakur Ranks Second in IPL 2025 Wicket-Takers List
Shardul Thakur remained optimistic despite going unsold in the IPL auction. He signed a contract with English county side Essex, but included a clause allowing him to prioritize an IPL call-up if the opportunity arose.
Lucknow Super Giants roped him in as an injury replacement for Mohsin Khan, who suffered an ACL tear during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December. Thakur has made an immediate impact with the ball. On Thursday, the all-rounder was awarded the Purple Cap for being the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025.
The Mumbai all-rounder is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He has taken six wickets at an average of 8.83 and an economy rate of 8.83. The pacer picked up four wickets for 32 runs in 3.3 overs during an emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their recent match.
Another Franchise Showed Interest in Shardul Thakur – Report
Journalist Devendra Pandey from The Indian Express revealed that Shardul Thakur had received an offer from another IPL franchise after Lucknow Super Giants approached him. The team was willing to sign him for a lucrative price, but Thakur decided to stay with LSG.
“At the time LSG had offered him a contract one more franchise wanted #ShardulThakur in their side. They had even offered him a lucrative price but he declined and decided to stay with #LSG,” Devendra Pandey wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
At the time LSG had offered him a contract one more franchise wanted #ShardulThakur in their side. They had even offered him a lucrative price but he declined and decided to stay with #LSG
— Devendra Pandey (@pdevendra) March 29, 2025
Lucknow Super Giants Secured Shardul Thakur for ₹2 Crore Ahead of IPL 2025
Lucknow Super Giants signed Shardul Thakur from the Registered Available Player Pool at his base price of ₹2 crore.
According to The Indian Express, Thakur had received positive feedback from some franchise officials before the IPL 2025 auction. He was assured that he was on their “wish list.” However, none of the 10 teams placed a bid for him over two days.
Thakur recovered from ankle surgery and made a strong comeback in the Ranji Trophy. He finished the season with impressive all-round numbers—picking up 35 wickets in nine matches at an average of 22.62 and scoring 505 runs at 42.08, including a century and four fifties.
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