Essex Sign Shardul Thakur for Seven County Championship Games
“For me personally, it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills,” said Thakur.

Cricket PassionEditor
Posted - 2025-02-18T21:08:21+06:00
Updated - 2025-02-18T21:08:21+06:00
Essex have signed Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur to play in the first seven matches of this season's County Championship.
The 33-year-old all-rounder will be available for the initial block of games in April and May this year. This will mark Thakur's debut in county cricket, as he was available after going unsold at the IPL auction in November.
Thakur has taken over 100 wickets across all three formats for India, with his most recent appearance being during the 2023-24 tour of South Africa. It's important to note that he will be available for seven games in April and May 2025. After registering for the IPL 2025 mega auctions and remaining unsold, he has chosen to make the most of this two-month opportunity and will don the Essex jersey.
“I’m really excited to join Essex this summer,” Thakur said. “This is a great opportunity for me to face new challenges and showcase my talent and skills. Playing county cricket has always been a dream of mine, and I’m proud to represent the Eagles.”
Thakur is the youngest Indian international to play county championship cricket in Chelmsford in recent years, following in the footsteps of Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay, and India’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir.
The all-rounder will team up with fellow foreign bowler Simon Harmer as Essex aims to make a strong start in their pursuit of their first league title since 2019, facing reigning champions Surrey at home in the opening round.
“We are absolutely delighted that Shardul’s signing is moving forward,” said Chris Silverwood, Essex’s returning director of cricket. “We were very clear that acquiring a quality fast bowler with solid batting skills was a key target for the club this winter.”
“That’s exactly what we’ve achieved with Shardul, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Essex and see how he performs in the County Championship.”