Shardul Thakur signs with Essex for County Championship: Details here
What's the story
Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has signed a deal with Essex, making his County Championship debut.
The 33-year-old cricketer will play seven matches in April and May.
The news comes after Thakur's stellar performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, where he has scored 439 runs at 39.90. He also owns a tally of 34 scalps at 21.67.
Thakur is currently playing in Mumbai's semi-final clash against Vidarbha.
New venture
Thakur expresses excitement over joining Essex
Thakur was excited about the upcoming stint with Essex. "I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer," he said as per the club's statement.
The all-rounder sees this as an opportunity to face new challenges and showcase his skills on a different platform.
He said, "County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I'll be representing the Eagles."
Legacy continues
Thakur to join ranks of Indian internationals at Chelmsford
Thakur will join the likes of Umesh Yadav, M Vijay, and India's current head coach Gautam Gambhir, who have played County Championship cricket at Chelmsford.
He will join fellow overseas bowler Simon Harmer in the upcoming season as Essex hopes for a strong start against reigning champions Surrey in their bid for their first Championship title since 2019.
Strategic acquisition
Essex's director of cricket hails Thakur's signing
Chris Silverwood, Essex's returning director of cricket, was delighted over Thakur's signing.
He said, "We're absolutely thrilled to get the signing of Shardul over the line."
Silverwood emphasized the club had specifically targeted a high-quality fast bowler with lower-order batting ability this winter.
He feels that in Thakur, they have found exactly what they were looking for and are eager to see how he performs in the County Championship.
Information
Thakur's stats in First-Class cricket
Thakur owns 297 wickets in First-Class cricket. He has 15 four-fers and 15 five-wicket hauls. He owns one 10-wicket match haul. With the bat, he has over 2,400 runs. He has two tons and 15 fifties.