Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who will play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026, is looking forward to reunion with former MI captain Rohit Sharma. Shardul has spoken out about Rohit’s support during his early career.
Shardul, who was traded from the Lucknow Super Giants to the Mumbai Indians for INR 2 crore, has returned to the organisation where his career began. Before joining the IPL and India, he was a net bowler for MI back in 2010. Shardul complimented Rohit with making him feel at ease in the early stages of his profession. He stated that the batter’s presence and approachability enabled him to express himself openly and without hesitation.
“Abhi aur pata chalega jab saath me baithenge toh. Kaafi masti hogi. He (Rohit Sharma) made me comfortable, he allowed me to be free with him, he allowed me to express myself. We became comfortable with each other and he played a major part in it. I was lucky enough to experience the dressing room early in my days. I was already feeling comfortable in front of senior players. Somewhere down the line, whatever the way I was treated during the Mumbai Indians camp also, that small gesture from the Mumbai Indians helped me a lot to grow in my career,” Shardul said.
Small gesture from the Mumbai Indians helped me a lot to grow: Shardul Thakur
He also credited MI’s coaching personnel, Director of Cricket Rahul Sanghvi and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, for guiding him during his developmental years. Their role, he believes, significantly influenced his growth as a professional cricketer.
“I was already feeling comfortable in front of senior players. That small gesture from the Mumbai Indians helped me a lot to grow. I was seeing Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu… and I’m sharing the same dressing room with them. It was surreal,” he added.
Meanwhile, in 105 IPL games, he has picked 107 wickets. In the 2025 season, with LSG, Thakur picked 13 wickets in 10 games. Following the IPL he returned to India’s Test squad for the England tour on the back of solid IPL and domestic performances.
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