Fast bowler Shardul Thakur stated that he has become a better T20 bowler compared to what he was a few years ago, and credited the Indian Premier League for his improvement. Playing his first T20I in over 22 months, Thakur picked up 3 for 23 in the second game against Sri Lanka at Indore and left a mark with his nagging line and lengths in the death overs.
“I feel T20 is such a short format, there are always going to be ups and downs. The more you play, the more experienced you get and you keep learning. Whereas first-class and Test cricket are formats where you have time to think about your game but in T20 you don’t have that time,” Thakur said following India’s seven-wicket win against Sri Lanka.
Playing IPL regularly over the past couple of seasons has been one of the reasons for his success, feels Thakur. “So whenever you practice, you need to add to your strengths and keep bettering your skills. Over a period of time, while practicing I have been developing my skills and brushing it up. Playing last two-three years in the IPL, and domestic cricket, I have gotten better,” Thakur said.
The speedster also thanked Bharat Arun and mentioned that his contribution has been a major reason why India now have a hub of fast bowlers in their ranks.
“At this point, it is very difficult to work with a particular coach because I am in and out of the Indian team. Sometimes I play for Mumbai, then Chennai Super Kings. Now I am again with the Indian team. But recently, our bowling coach (India) Bharat Arun has been really helpful,” said Thakur.
Speaking about the second T20I and his game plan, Thakur stated that bowling dot balls were the aim.
“I just had to bowl as many dot balls (that) I could. Luckily, I got three wickets there. It is satisfying. I have been working hard for it. When it pays off in an international game, it makes me really happy,” said the Mumbai pacer.
