Not being selected for T20 World Cup is a big disappointment but there is still a lot of cricket left: Shardul Thakur

India pacer-all-rounder Shardul Thakur is a “huge disappointment” at not being picked for the upcoming T20 World Cup but the Mumbai lad is looking to do better in the upcoming matches as he still has a lot of cricket left in him. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, Shardul played a few T20Is for India but he had to bear the brunt of conceding 9.15 runs per over. Shardul said on the eve of the second match of the three-match T20 series against South Africa, “Obviously, it is a big disappointment. It is every player’s dream to play in the World Cup and perform well. I still have a lot of cricket left in me and there is an ODI World Cup next year too. Whatever match I get a chance, my focus will be on doing well and contributing to the team’s victory.

 

Deepak Chahar’s injury has dealt a major blow to India’s T20 World Cup campaign. Chahar was included in the list of reserve players and is now on the verge of being ruled out of this World Cup to be played in Australia. Shardul said, “Injuries are part of the game. At some point or the other, the player will definitely get injured. We should not take it to heart. There is still a lot of cricket left.” When Shardul was asked about his chances when Chahar is out, he said, “If someone gets hurt, any player can come in his place. Your responsibility is just that whenever you get a chance, you should fulfill your responsibility. If I get a chance, I am mentally prepared.” The pacer, who has played some brilliant innings with the bat, said he wants to make a useful contribution to the lower order batting.

 

He made India’s return to the match in the first ODI against South Africa with a 93-run partnership of 66 balls with Sanju Samson in difficult conditions. Chasing a target of 250 in 40 overs, India lost four wickets for 51 runs but Samson (86 not out) and Shardul (33) raised hopes with a brilliant partnership. However, the team had to face defeat by nine runs. Shardul said, “If you look at the teams that have performed well at the international level, they have a lot of depth in their batting line-up. For example, Australia has Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc batting at the eighth or ninth order. Same is the case with England. He said, “I have been focusing on my batting for a long time. Obviously it’s good to contribute with the batting from seventh to ninth order. This increases your confidence.