Is Shardul Thakur India’s top all-around player? His Stats Point to Yes

Despite having three fast bowlers and an all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who also bowls a respectable number of overs and supports the spinners from the other end, the ODI World Cup is less than a month away, so the inclusion of pacer Shardul Thakur for both the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup caught everyone off guard. Shardul Thakur’s stellar ODI performances for India over the past three to four years have won him a spot in the team.

Since the 2019 ODI World Cup, he has contributed to India’s wicket total, and he has a propensity for ending strong partnerships with his slower deliveries. Thakur is the only Indian bowler with 50 or more wickets in the last three years, with 53 wickets in 34 innings at an average of 28.30 and a strike rate of 27.4. Not to mention that he is a skilled hitter who has the ability to alter the outcome of any game. Thakur has scored 215 runs in 18 innings while batting at position eight, and all of those runs have come at a strike rate of 114.36.

Shardul Thakur’s accomplishments in the following statistics and metrics persuaded the selection committee to give him consideration for the ODI World Cup 2023:

Shardul Thakur has taken 53 wickets since the 2019 ODI World Cup, which is the most by an Indian bowler.

Shardul Thakur is the Indian hitter who has scored the most runs while batting eighth or lower for India with 215 runs in 18 innings. With 137 runs, Deepak Chahar is next on the list.

Shardul Thakur has taken 39 wickets in middle overs since 2020, which is the second-highest total of wickets by an Indian bowler in ODIs during that time. In that time, only Kuldeep Yadav (40) is in front of him.

3 – Shardul Thakur is one of three Indians to score a half-century for their country while batting at the eighth or below position since the 2019 ODI World Cup. The other two batters are Deepak Chahar and Rohit Sharma.

Shardul Thakur has taken three or more wickets in an inning nine times in total since the 2019 ODI World Cup, which is the most by an Indian bowler during that time. The following on the list, Mohammed Siraj, has 8 times.