His last appearance in the format came in 2023.
The newly appointed Mumbai skipper, Shardul Thakur, has revealed that he is gearing up to make it to the India squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. He is also looking forward to being included in the hosts’ squad for the forthcoming 50-over series against New Zealand, starting on January 11.
“Right now, I am not in the T20I setup. But the one-day World Cup is coming up, and the last time I played an ODI, I did well. I was part of the 2023 World Cup team. I really have my eyes on the upcoming World Cup and the upcoming series in ODI cricket,” stated the all-rounder to Sportstar.
The 34-year-old has been in lethal form in the recent domestic matches, bagging 11 wickets in six fixtures of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 so far. Besides his blazing show with the ball, Shardul has also contributed some crucial runs to the team’s total. He feels that this could work as a key aspect for his return to the 50-over side.
Notably, the player’s last appearance in the format came during the home ODI World Cup 2023, where he had snared two wickets in three matches. Since then, the Indian management has tried Shivam Dube in the Sri Lanka ODI series in 2024 and youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy in the latest Australia white-ball tour.
“I am batting well. It is up to people how they want to make the best use of my abilities. I feel whatever opportunities I get, in any format, I just have to make winning contributions for my team, be it fielding, batting or bowling. My focus is to make a lot of winning contributions and make impactful performances,” added the player.
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The Mumbai player has also expressed his desire to feature in the home red-ball fixtures. Before turning up for the SMAT 2025, Shardul scalped 10 wickets and scored 113 runs in five matches of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, including an unbeaten fifty-plus knock.
“I am picking wickets in the Ranji Trophy also, on turning tracks. I am bowling a good number of overs, and I am scoring runs. Given an opportunity, I am ready to play a Test match in India as well,” opined Shardul.
However, his solitary Test appearance on Indian soil dates back to his debut match against the West Indies in October 2018.
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