Indian pacer gets a premature call to join the Indian team in the rainbow nation

Maharashtra-based pacer Shardul Thakur, who was set to travel to the rainbow nation for the upcoming ODI leg against South Africa has received a premature call. Following the loss in the second Test at Centurion and the subsequent series defeat, the Indian team management has summoned the Mumbai pacer. It’s learnt that Thakur will be boarding a flight to Johannesburg on Friday night.

The 26-year-old who was playing in Mumbai’s T20 team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has now been withdrawn from the squad. Although the exact reasons for Thakur’s premature departure for South Africa are still unclear he is the only fast bowler in the ODI squad who isn’t already there. Thakur was originally expected to leave with the other 50-over specialists, including the likes of MS Dhoni and Manish Pandey, on January 24.

He will be accompanied by Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini, who will travel as one of the net bowlers as well. The duo will join the likes Ankit Rajpoot, Mohammad Siraj, Avesh Khan and Basil Thampi who had already travelled with the Test team to assist the batsmen in the nets. The call for the speedster to join the touring party was confirmed by Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) joint secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar.

Khanvilkar told The Indian Express, “We were informed by the BCCI that he (Thakur) will be going to South Africa soon which has meant that we’ve had to find a replacement for him at the last moment.”

The decision comes after management complained of not having decent net bowlers

The decision was taken by the BCCI after the team management had complained about not having decent net bowlers on away tours. However, it remains to be seen whether Thakur too has been called as a net bowler before the third Test at the Wanderers or there is perhaps an injury concern in the Indian pace attack. The only silver lining for him is that chief selector MSK Prasad had hinted that some of the ODI players “may go a bit early to acclimatise” while announcing the limited-overs squad last month.