‘Would Struggle To Make It To Karnataka Xl ‘: Ex-India Star Slams Shardul Thakur

Former Indian cricket team pacer Doda Ganesh launched a scathing attack on Shardul Thakur during the Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday. In the absence of Hardik Pandya due to injury, Shardul bowled 9 overs and ended up conceding 59 runs at an economy rate of 6.60. The all-rounder took the wicket of Towhid Hridoy but Ganesh was not impressed with what he provided for the side. The former India cricketer took to social media to say that on the basis on just bowling, Shardul would not even make the cut for Karnataka’s playing XI in domestic cricket.

“With due respect to Shardul Thakur, on his bowling alone he would struggle to make it to Karnataka’s playing Xl in any format, let alone India’s,” he posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

With due respect to Shardul Thakur, on his bowling alone he would struggle to make it to Karnataka’s playing Xl in any format, let alone India’s #CWC23

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) October 19, 2023

Shardul did not play the first game of the Cricket World Cup 2023 against Australia but he replaced Ravichandran Ashwin for the second game and has played every match ever since.

Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century sealed India’s fourth win from four World Cup matches as the hosts defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets on Thursday with the star batsman closing in on Sachin Tendulkar’s record for ODI hundreds.

Kohli reached his century and ended the match in style with a six against spinner Nasum Ahmed when he needed three runs to complete his century and India two more runs to reach a target of 257.

They got there with more than eight overs to spare, finishing on 261-3.

Kohli’s 48th one-day international century left him just one shy of equalling India great Tendulkar’s all-time record of 49 hundreds at this level.

Kohli faced 97 balls, including six fours and four sixes, with this century his third score in excess of fifty in four innings following contributions of 85 and 55 not out in recent pool wins over Australia and Afghanistan.

But for Bangladesh, a third defeat in four matches left them with an uphill struggle to qualify for the semi-finals.

(With AFP inputs)