On a day to forget for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy vs Jammu and Kashmir. Only Shardul Thakur stood tall. His quickfire 51 rescued Mumbai from 47/7 to 120 all out. He also got a wicket later on. With five fours and two sixes, the No. 9 batter prevented what could have been a two-figure score for the most dominant team in the history of the competition. While the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal failed, it was Shardul who delivered with the bat.

But the frustration in his voice of not being picked in the national side for some time was evident when he spoke to the media after the day’s play. He seemed to indirectly take a shot at the selectors for not picking him. No doubt he is wondering what more he has to do to be eligible for selection.

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“What can I talk about my quality? Others should talk about it. They should see that if someone has quality, he should be given more chances,” he said.

“I like batting in difficult situations. In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up the show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome that challenge,” he added.

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“You have to forget whatever has happened in the past; it is not going to change. It is important to be in the present and think about what you can do in the near future,” he went on to say.

Shardul has not played for India in any format since late 2023. He also went unsold at the IPL auction back in December. This was not the first time he rescued Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy with the bat. In the previous season his 109 from 105 balls with 13 fours and four sixes while batting at nine rescued Mumbai from 106/7 to 378 vs Tamil Nadu. Mumbai would eventually win the title. It remains to be seen if selectors reward him with a pace. At 33, he is not spring chicken so a race against time is on the cards.