'It shows how much my teammates love me' - Shardul Thakur on his nicknames Lord and Beefy

Indian pacer Shardul Thakur acquired the nickname ‘Lord’ from his teammates and fans ever since his heroics in England last year during the Pataudi Series. He has already demonstrated what he is capable of doing with the bat and the ball in English conditions, and he will be essential to India’s prospects at Edgbaston.

Thakur’s outing in England was a memorable one, as his performance played a major role in India’s 2-1 lead against the English Team. His crucial knocks made him a favourite among the team members, and also the fans. In a video shared by BCCI, Thakur revealed how he got the nicknames ‘Lord’ and ‘Beefy’ associated with him as he said:

“England is a bowler’s paradise. The ball swings here and at a time you can get a lot of wickets in one spell. So yeah, England is one of my favourite places to play cricket. I am fine with any name (laughs). The name Bull is what they have been calling me since my Ranji Trophy days. I am fine with any nickname that my teammates give me. Lord and Beefy just got famous after my performances against England. It shows how much my teammates love me. It’s good to hear, sounds good when it falls on my ears.”

The pace attack that we have, everyone is doing well: Shardul Thakur

Since his first international tour, the pacer, fondly referred to as ‘Lord Thakur’, has put up worthy performances and has emerged as one of those players whom the captain can blindly trust for the games in away conditions. Last year’s The Oval Test saw Thakur play two key innings, and his 57 helped India score 191 runs in the opening innings. The Indian pacer recorded another significant score in the second innings, helping his side amass a staggering 466 runs. Thanks to his 60, the final result landed in India’s favour as they won the game by 157 runs.

“The pace attack that we have, everyone is doing well, including Shami, Bumrah, and Umesh whenever he gets a game. Sometimes these bowlers get 2-3 wickets in their first spell and then I come a bit later in the game when they need rest. But I have started to like that role and it’s my duty, as I know if I deliver a performance at that stage then it creates an impact in the match,” Thakur added.