IPL 2025: Shardul Thakur likely to join LSG as injury replacement after going unsold in mega auction

After being released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Shardul Thakur was shockingly unsold at the massive auctions held in advance of the 2025 tournament. At a basic price of INR 2 crore, the cricket player consequently registered for the auction. Unfortunately, Shardul was unable to draw in any bidders, and CSK decided not to exercise their Right To Match (RTM) option, which left him in a hopeless situation.

The bowling all-rounder is expected to join the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) team, so things could change. The Palghar Express might finally have a team to play for in the next tournament after being spotted in the team’s training camp less than a week before it starts. The development has been confirmed by a picture of his net session with the LSG setup that has been making the rounds on social media.

Shardul Thakur fared brilliantly in the home competitions, therefore the fact that he was unsold did not undermine his confidence.

He had an outstanding all-around season in 2024–25, taking 35 wickets for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. Additionally, he made a significant contribution with the bat, finishing the season with 505 runs.

Under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, Mumbai won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Shardul was a key player, taking 15 wickets at an average of 24.53 in nine games. In addition, he took the most wickets for Mumbai and finished fourth overall for the season. The 33-year-old collected 10 wickets in seven games in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, which Mumbai lost and did not advance to the quarterfinals.

The injury issues facing the original side are one of the reasons the pace-bowling all-rounder might be added to the LSG squad. As LSG gets ready for their tournament opener against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam, questions have been raised over their ability to play in the next tournament because their bowlers, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Mohsin Khan, have not received fitness clearance from the BCCI.

The Palghar native will be confident in his ability to contribute similarly to LSG with Form on his side. But in order to confirm things, the squad has yet to make an official announcement on his addition.