Shardul Thakur hit 9 boundaries and three maximums against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Kolkata Knight Riders registered a thumping victory by 81 runs over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 9th match of IPL 2023. This was KKR’s first win of the season. Batting first, they posted a huge total of 204/7 in 20 overs – thanks to the outstanding knock of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shardul Thakur.
Shardul Thakur, in particular, batted amazingly well at a stage when KKR looked down and out. This victory will lift the motivation of the whole team as they move forward in the season.
Also Read: IPL 2023: KKR Mystery spinner Suyash Sharma claims 3 wickets on IPL debut
Thakur was adjudged the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance against RCB. When Shardul came in to bat, KKR were reeling at 89/5 in 11.3 overs. He played a career-best knock of 68 runs in just 29 deliveries which included 9 fours and three maximums.
When asked about the performance in the post-match presentation, Shardul Thakur gave a cheeky reply.
“Even I don’t know where it came from!” exclaimed Shardul. “Looking at the scorecard, everyone would have said we were struggling. But your subconscious mind takes over. You also have to have skills to do that at the higher level, but we also work hard in the nets,” the 31-years old added.
His sublime knock was indeed a surprise for one and all. Yes, Shardul is a decent batter, but his knock was outrageous. It came out of nowhere and at a time when KKR needed it the most. He played some breathtaking shots throughout his knock.
Shardul also scalped a wicket of Michael Bracewell, who looked in fine touch during his short stay of 18 balls. KKR traded him at a huge sum with high expectations before the start of the season. They would want Shardul Thakur to continue contributing in all the departments.
