Shardul Thakur IPL Profile

Shardul Thakur is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Indian cricket team and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. Born on 16 October 1991, Thakur is aged 31 ahead of the IPL 2023 season. He has a frame of 5 feet inches and has a body weight of approximately 66 kg.

Thakur was once criticized for his poor shape and was deemed too fat to play for India. Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar urged Shardul to get rid of his excess body weight when he weighed around 85 kg. He did well to get in shape and forge a career for himself at the highest level. He also got training under one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time Glenn McGrath, who helped him reach the next level.

Hailing from Palghar in Maharashtra, Shardul is fondly called Palghar Express. He is quite experienced at the international level and has been a star player in IPL over the years. He made his IPL debut for Kings XI Punjab in 2015 and joined Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017. He was at Chennai Super Kings between 2018 and 2021 and with Delhi Capitals in 2022. In the IPL Auction 2023, the Kolkata franchise acquired the services of Shardul Thakur for Rs 10.75 Crore.

Shardul is an aggressive right-arm fast bowler who usually bowls at more than 140 km/h and has clocked the highest speed of 148 km/h. He is known for his pace, variations and swingers. While Thakur is predominantly used as a bowler, he can be quite useful with the bat if and when needed. He has a wide array of shots and can be a useful asset down the batting order.