Shardul Thakur on Bowling Pressure in IPL: 'You're Paid to Do That Job'
Shardul Thakur, after helping Lucknow Super Giants secure a win against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, emphasized the importance of handling pressure while bowling crucial overs. He praised young leg-spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi and highlighted the need for adaptability to pitch conditions. The win places the team sixth in the points table, with their next match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
After winning the clash against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder Shardul Thakur shared his thoughts and what his mindset is while bowling the 19th or 20th over of the second innings.
Shardul bagged one wicket in his spell of four overs, where he conceded 40 runs in his spell of four overs. He took the wicket of left-hand batter Ryan Rickleton, who was dismissed on the 10th ball of the second innings.
The 33-year-old cricketer bowled the penultimate over of the chase, where he gave away just seven runs in front of hard-hitting batters like Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma.
Speaking on bowling the 19th over, the Mumbai-born cricketer said during the post-match presentation, "There is always pressure when you are bowling the penultimate or the last over. Avesh did a great job as well. But at the end of the day, you're paid to do that job. It was a tricky surface; sometimes, you thought the slower ones would work, but even a few slower ones were hit for boundaries. In the end, it was the yorkers that worked. We do see what happened in the first half, but we have seen in the IPL that the pitch changes in the second half and becomes better; it is about adjusting to the conditions."
Further, the fast bowler heaped praise on young leg-spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi, who bowled brilliantly. He took one wicket and gave away just 21 runs in his four overs.
"He (Rathi) is a phenomenal bowler and a character as well, we need such guys in the team - who comes in and delivers for the team and he has been a bit of a surprise in the IPL. I feel the bounce is even on the red soil, and the ball comes on nicely, but you need more skills as a batter on black soil when there's no dew," the all-rounder added.
The Lucknow Super Giants bowlers' exceptional performance restricted the five-time champions Mumbai Indians to 191 as the hosts registered a 12-run win at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Friday.
With this victory, the Lucknow-based franchise registered their second win of the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league. They are currently in sixth position in the IPL 2025 points table with four points after their four games in the competition.
Lucknow Super Giants will play their next game against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 8. (ANI)