"They also like me as a player and they trust my abilities" - Shardul Thakur opens up on CSK return

Team India's bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur was roped in by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) Auction in Dubai.

The Chennai-based franchise won a bidding war against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to acquire Shardul's services for ₹4 crore. This will be his second stint with the five-time champions, having plied his trade for them from 2018 to 2021.

Speaking about returning to CSK, Shardul mentioned how the team management backed him fully during his first run. Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel, he said:

"Yes, they bid for me, but they also like me as a player, and they trust in my abilities. Also, when I played with them from 2018 until 2021, they invested a lot in me and gave me a lot of game time in the IPL. There were a lot of ups and downs for me in the IPL, but they backed me completely until the last game of the tournament.

"In fact, we lost the final; I didn’t have a great final. Despite that, they backed me, and two years later, I had the fortune of experiencing the championship with them."

Shardul Thakur won two titles with CSK, in 2018 and 2021. It is worth noting that he was the leading wicket-taker for the team in both campaigns. Expressing confidence about delivering a similar performance in IPL 2024 as well, he added:

"I was the highest wicket-taker for CSK in 2018 and 2021, when we won. So, both the championships. I have a feeling I might repeat it this time."

Shardul performed underwhelmingly with the ball for his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), bagging just seven wickets from 11 outings. The highlight of his season was his blistering 68-run knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

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"The crowd that comes to Chennai is absolutely electrifying" - Shardul Thakur on CSK fans

Shardul Thakur also shared his excitement over playing in front of CSK fans in Chennai. He also recalled hearing one of the loudest chants for MS Dhoni.

"The crowd that comes to Chennai is absolutely electrifying. That is one of the loudest cheers ever heard in my life, obviously for none other than MS Dhoni."

Shardul is part of India's squad for the side's upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. The first Test will be played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, from December 26 to 30.