Essex secure Shardul Thakur for seven-match County Championship spell

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has officially inked a deal to represent Essex in the upcoming County Championship matches. The 33-year-old cricketer will feature in seven games scheduled for April and May, marking his debut in the English domestic circuit.

The stint will be a first in county cricket for Thakur, who has taken more than 100 wickets across all three formats for India, with his last appearance coming on the 2023-24 tour of South Africa.

He has been in good form domestically, scoring more than 400 runs to go with 34 wickets at 21.67 to help take Mumbai into the semi-finals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

"I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer," Thakur said. "Personally it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills. County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I'll be representing the Eagles."

Thakur is the latest India international to play County Championship cricket at Chelmsford in recent times, following in the footsteps of Umesh Yadav, M Vijay and India's current head coach, Gautam Gambhir.

He will line up alongside fellow overseas bowler Simon Harmer, with Essex looking to make a strong start in pursuit of a first Championship title since 2019 when they take on the reigning champions, Surrey, at home in the opening round.

"We're absolutely thrilled to get the signing of Shardul over the line," Chris Silverwood, Essex's returning director of cricket, said. "We were very clear amongst ourselves that a high-quality quick bowler, with lower-order batting ability, was a key target for the club this winter.

"In Shardul, we have signed just that, and we can't wait to welcome him to Essex and see how he gets on in the County Championship."