India all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to join Essex for the forthcoming County Championship, having secured a seven-match contract that will commence in April and May of the 2025 season. At 33 years of age, Thakur aims to capitalize on this opportunity as he seeks to re-establish himself in the Test team.

India is scheduled to tour England for a five-match Test series later this year, and a strong performance from Thakur could bolster his chances of being selected for the squad.

Recently, Thakur was omitted from India's lineup for the five-match Test series against Australia. Head coach Gautam Gambhir suggested that the management is moving on from Thakur, opting instead for younger talent such as Nitish Kumar Reddy for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Throughout his career, Thakur has represented India 83 times across all formats, claiming 129 wickets, which includes 31 wickets from 11 Test matches.

He made his international debut in August 2017 in an ODI against Sri Lanka, with his first Test appearance occurring just over a year later at home against the West Indies.

In first-class cricket, Thakur has taken 296 wickets at an average of 27.45 and has accumulated over 2,000 runs, including two centuries and 15 half-centuries.

Thakur's recent performances have been outstanding. In a recent Ranji Trophy match against Meghalaya, he scored 84 runs off 42 balls and achieved a hat-trick, concluding the match with impressive figures of 8/91. In the match prior, he scored 51 and 119 against Jammu and Kashmir, forming a crucial partnership of 184 runs for the eighth wicket with Tanush Kotian.

'Feeling excited to join Essex'

Shardul Thakur expressed his enthusiasm about joining the county, eagerly anticipating the chance to tackle new challenges and seize opportunities.

"I am thrilled to be joining Essex this summer. This presents me with fresh challenges and the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities and skills," he stated in an official announcement.

"County cricket has always been an experience I wished to pursue, and I am delighted to represent the Eagles," he further remarked.

Chris Silverwood, the Director of Cricket at Essex, conveyed the county's excitement regarding the addition of the Indian player.

"We are absolutely delighted to finalize the signing of Shardul. It was clear to us that acquiring a high-quality fast bowler with lower-order batting capabilities was a primary objective for the Club this winter," he noted.

"With Shardul, we have achieved that goal, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming him to Essex and observing his performance in the County Championship," he concluded.

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