Shardul Thakur, representing India A, smashed an unbeaten 122 off 68 balls and claimed 4 wickets in a brilliant all-round show during the intra-squad match against India at Beckenham on Sunday.
Shardul Thakur, the seam-bowling all-rounder of India, made a big statement ahead of the first Test of the five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 at Leeds. The 33-year-old, representing India A, smashed an unbeaten 122 off 68 balls and claimed 4 wickets in a brilliant all-round show during the intra-squad match against India at Beckenham on Sunday.
Thakur became the second player to reach the three-figure mark in India A’s innings after Sarfaraz Khan, who played a quickfire 101 from 76 balls, including 15 boundaries and two sixes.
Notably, Thakur’s blitzkrieg came against a bowling attack that featured India’s top-rated pacers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshdeep Singh.
However, the intra-squad match between India and India A was called off by the management midway through Day Three. The game was supposed to last until Monday, June 16, but the management decided to end the match after two and a half days.
“Team India’s intra-squad game has ended. A complete day off on 16th June. The team will leave for Leeds on 17th June,” the BCCI stated on Sunday.
The match was not telecast live, nor were the scores made available to the media officially.
However, for Shardul—who last played for India in the 2023 Boxing Day Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town—it was a bright performance that strengthened his case for selection.
Shardul was considered for the England series owing to his superb performances for Mumbai in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy. He finished as the second-leading run-getter for the most successful team in Ranji Trophy history and took 35 wickets in nine matches.
The all-rounder, however, failed to make a mark in the two unofficial Tests for India A against the England Lions. Notably, the centuries by Shardul and Sarfaraz came in front of chief selector Ajit Agarkar and BCCI’s Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman.