Reports: Shardul Thakur set for long-awaited Test comeback against England

All rounder Shardul Thakur is one of the players who has been missing from the Indian Test side. Notably, Thakur played his last game in 2023 against South Africa in Centurion but has recently made a comeback with some great performances in domestic cricket and the IPL this season.

Thakur was one of the best performers for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, and he is among the highest wicket-takers for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL as well. The pace-bowling all-rounder took 35 wickets and scored 505 runs for Mumbai in the red-ball tournament, along with 12 wickets in nine games for the Lucknow franchise in the T20 league.

As per Cricbuzz, these performances have led to the 33-year-old cricketer making a long-awaited 18-month return to the Indian Test squad. This would be another opportunity for Thakur to showcase his capability in England, which traditionally assists seamers with good seam and bounce.

Notably, the last time Thakur played in England was in 2021, where he participated in three games, taking eight wickets and scoring 122 runs, which included two half-centuries. The series ended in a 2-2 draw.

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Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion looks doubtful

While Shardul Thakur’s chances in Test cricket look promising, his Mumbai teammate Shreyas Iyer’s prospects still seem very slim. Iyer has also delivered great performances in the domestic circuit and has been performing well in the IPL for Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, the abundance of talent within the team might make it challenging for him to break into the side.

Iyer has achieved a lot in domestic cricket over the last 15 months and has improved his game against short-pitched bowling. However, his chances for the tour against England depend on news surrounding Virat Kohli, who might be considering retirement from the five-day format.