Shardul Thakur extends hand for handshake with Sanjiv Goenka, LSG owner bows to lordship instead after win vs SRH

Lucknow Super Giants registered a dominant five-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crucial away match on Thursday, chasing a 191-run target in just 16.1 overs. While Nicholas Pooran was instrumental in the run-chase with a brilliant 70 off just 26 deliveries, the foundation for the victory was laid by pacer Shardul Thakur, who returned with impressive figures of 4/34 in four overs. Sanjiv Goenka takes a bow at Shardul Thakur(LSG/X)

Shardul had originally remained unsold in the 2025 Indian Premier League auction but was included in the LSG squad as a last-minute entry owing to injuries in the pace attack. The senior bowler had picked two wickets in the side's first match against Delhi Capitals and continued on his brilliant run in Hyderabad on Thursday night. Following the match, LSG's owner Sanjiv Goenka reserved a heartfelt gesture for Shardul; as he came to meet the bowler, Goenka bowed in front of Shardul before giving him a hug.

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Left without a buyer at the auction with a base price of INR 2 crore, Shardul had already shifted focus to his upcoming County Championship stint with Essex. But fate had other plans; a sudden injury crisis at LSG saw them turn to Shardul as an emergency replacement for Mohsin Khan, who tore his ACL during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The call came from none other than LSG mentor Zaheer Khan, marking the beginning of an unexpected turnaround for the seasoned all-rounder.

Now, just two matches into the season, Shardul has seized the Purple Cap, leading the wicket charts with six scalps at an economy of 8.83. While other franchises had expressed interest, it was LSG who made the first move, and it’s proving to be a masterstroke.

"See, I feel all these things keep happening in the cricket. It was just one bad day in the auction, I didn't get picked by any of the franchises. But unfortunately, there were a few injuries here and there, and there were a few inquiries about whether I could join the camp," Thakur told the host broadcaster during the innings break after assisting LSG in restricting SRH to 190/9.

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