Shardul Thakur knocks on the selection doors with a grace-saving knock for Mumbai

The last year fared especially disappointingly for Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur. A match-saving ton in the first-class semi-final game could be the reviving factor in any player's game. However, Thakur's knock of 109 against Tamil Nadu that propelled Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy last year fell on deaf ears. The pace all-rounder, a key contributor to India's historic campaign in Australia in the 2020-2021 Border Gavaskar Trophy, fell out of the team's plans in the new WTC Cycle. With Gautam Gambhir claiming the head coaching position in the Indian camp and Ajit Agarkar turning up as the head selector, a significant transition came in the red-ball side. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur saw his place curbed as the team went for Nitish Kumar Reddy for the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

Shardul Thakur amazes as Mumbai batters fail collectively in the Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir

Now, engaged in yet another first-class season for Mumbai, Shardul Thakur announced his presence in the team. The group stage match of Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir garnered widespread attention as the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma joined the team. However, Sharma's form showed no signs of redemption as he continued his struggle with the bat, a story that has hurt consistently across India's red-ball season. Moreover, his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, couldn't do much either as he made his return to domestic cricket. Under Ajinkya Rahane, Mumbai opted to bat first at the BKC ground against Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir bowlers, meanwhile, wreaked havoc on the Mumbai line-up. Umar Nazir, with Yudhvir Singh in tow, claimed 4 wickets each as Mumbai batters, including the skipper Rahane and Shreyas Iyer, departed cheaply. However, then came a gritty half-century knock from Shardul Thakur down the order. Shardul made 51 off 51 as the rest of the batters collectively managed 63 on the opening day for Mumbai to score 120 in the innings.

Moreover, with mainstays of Indian cricket like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Jaiswal failing simultaneously in their respective comeback matches in the Ranji Trophy, Thakur's knock emerged as the highlight. The tenacious show from Shardul's bat pushed the fraternity to rethink India's decision to unceremoniously move on from the all-rounder. Meanwhile, following his Day 1 heroics, Thakur put the onus on the selectors to identify the talents that deserve a spot in the team.

"What can I talk about my quality? Others should talk about it. They should see that if someone has quality, he should be given more chances. I like batting in difficult situations. In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up the show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome that challenge," Shardul said.

The all-rounder further backed up his statement with another defining knock on Day 2 of the Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy match. As Mumbai's turn to bat arrived again, the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, opened brazenly, hitting 3 sixes. But his knock ended at just 28, as he failed to bank on the start. The story remained the same for the rest of the Mumbai batters as Jaiswal, Iyer, and Rahane managed 26, 17, and 16 in the second innings. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur played yet another impressive knock as he came up with another half-century. Building an impactful partnership with Tanush Kotian down the order, Shardul converted his knock into a ton, standing unbeaten at 101 off 106 on Day 2 of the Ranji clash.