"It shows how much my teammates love me" - Shardul Thakur on his nicknames ahead of one-off Test vs England

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has got a certain swagger about the way he carries himself onto the field. He is highly competitive and aggressive and always wants to put his best foot forward for the team.

This attitude has brought the best out of him since his Ranji Trophy days and his teammates have given him a lot of fancy nicknames that suit his style of play. He revealed that his Mumbai teammates used to call him 'Bull'.

Speaking in a video posted by the BCCI, Thakur also opened up on the nicknames 'Lord' and 'Beefy' (referring to Sir Ian Botham) that he got from his Team India mates after his impactful performances against England last summer. He said:

"I am fine with any name (laughs). The name Bull is what they have been calling me since my Ranji Trophy days. People call me Lord and Beefy because of my performances against England. It shows how much my teammates love me. It's good to hear, sounds good when it falls on my ears."

Shardul Thakur on his role for Team India

As a genuine swing bowler, Shardul Thakur would definitely relish the opportunity to bowl with the new ball. However, with the likes of world-class options like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami available, the 30-year-old has settled into his new role of bowling with a slightly older ball. On this, he stated:

"The pace attack that we have, everyone is doing well including Shami, Bumrah and Umesh whenever he gets a game. Sometimes these bowlers get 2-3 wickets in their first spell and then I come a bit later in the game when they need rest. But I have started to like that role and it's my duty as I know if I deliver a performance at that stage then it creates an impact in the match."

Shardul Thakur has already shown last year exactly what he is capable of in English conditions with both bat and ball and will be crucial for India's chances at Edgbaston.