He isn’t in the Indian set-up anymore. Neither is he part of the IPL. From being the toast of the nation to being out in the wilderness, Shardul Thakur has seen it all. No one calls him Lord anymore, and the honeymoon is over. A long period out because of injury hasn’t helped, and Lord is no longer the headline. And yet, he does his job with passion and commitment. Just like he did yesterday against Jammu and Kashmir. Mumbai were reeling when Shardul walked out, and despite an injury, he made sure that they reached a competitive score in the second innings. With shots all around the ground, he forced J&K to turn defensive, and has now given Mumbai a decent chance to win the game.
There is a saying that if you are talented, Mumbai doesn’t let you return empty-handed. Shardul’s story started in 2006. Dinesh Lad, the cricket coach of Swami Vivekananda International School, had been frantically calling one Narendra Thakur for at least six months, but each time his proposal was met with stiff resistance. Narendra Thakur was a vegetable farmer from Palghar, a district on the western line around 90 kms from the metropolis. Lad had watched Thakur’s teenage son Shardul perform at an inter-school event and wanted the 14-year-old to join his school.
Lad, a former Western Railway cricketer, is a disciple of the great Ramakant Achrekar. He was Achrekar’s student in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Just like his guru had an eye for talent, and the ability to convince parents to get their wards to enrol with Sharadashram Vidyamandir, Lad would also venture out on a talent hunt in and around Mumbai after the Borivali school’s management entrusted him with the responsibility of building a competitive cricket team. In trying to do so, he spotted a young Shardul, who defied his slight build to bowl reasonably quick and could also put wood to leather with a lot of conviction.
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“I called up Shardul’s father at least 20 times in those six months, and every time he would politely tell me ‘Sir, hum apne bachhe ko roz paanch ghante ka safaar nahin karwayenge. Uska padhai thik se nahi ho payega [Sir, we won’t make our kid travel five hours a day. His studies will suffer].’” It was what any other middle-class Indian parent would tell a games teacher.
In India, most people have their personal “Eureka” moment over a cup of steaming hot tea while discussing monthly budgets with their spouse. One evening, while he was sitting with his wife Deepali, Lad asked her if she would mind if he decided to let young Shardul stay with them in the house. “If you feel that’s the right thing to do, I have no problems” was Mrs Lad’s answer.
The next moment, Lad was again on the phone with Narendra, but this time he had a fresh proposal. “Will you be okay if Shardul stays at my place, studies at Swami Vivekananda, and takes cricket coaching?” he asked. “I feel he will play a decent level of cricket in coming years.”
It was Lad’s last throw of the dice, and this time Thakur senior was taken aback, but not dismissive. Narendra eventually agreed, and thus began the Shardul story.
Can he make a comeback into the national team? Will he find a way back to the IPL? These are questions we don’t have answers to. But for Mumbai, he is still ‘Lord’. Ask Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, and you will have your answer.
Also Read: Ranji Trophy Day 2: Jadeja’s Ten-for Shines Amid Star Failures, Shardul’s Century Rescues Mumbai
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