The IPL 2023 Mini Auctions are set to happen in December. Before then, we will witness teams announcing their list of released and retained players. As per reports, Delhi Capitals is all set to release Shardul Thakur. The Mumbai cricketer did not do well last season despite going big at the auctions. The likes of Khaleel Ahmed did well and even Chetan Sakariya is in the squad. Hence, it makes sense to release the player. On that note, here, we take a look at three teams that can target Shardul Thakur in the upcoming IPL 2023 Mini Auctions in December.
1) Mumbai Indians
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians do not have a reliable domestic pacer in the squad. Both Jaydev Unadkat and Basil Thampi failed to justify their positions last season. With Bumrah also suffering from injuries frequently, MI would want another experienced Indian pacer.
Shardul Thakur is the best bet for the five-time champions. At No.8, while he adds depth to the batting, he will also be the perfect partner for Bumrah in the bowling unit. Shardul has a knack for picking wickets in the middle order, which would allow Rohit Sharma to use Bumrah at the death and in the powerplay.
2) Kolkata Knight Riders
🇮🇳 Cheering from the MCG stands tonight 😍 #ICCT20WorldCup #INDvsPAK #st54 #TeamIndia #BCCI 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/bXP18Foj5S
— Shardul Thakur (@imShard) October 23, 2022
KKR is one of the teams that can target Shardul Thakur in the upcoming IPL 2023 Mini Auctions in December. The Shreyas Iyer-led franchise did not have a great bowling performance last season. While Umesh Yadav was good in the beginning, he lost his form later on.
There is a vacancy for an Indian bowler in the XI. Shardul Thakur would fit the role. To an extent, he can also be the death bowler for the franchise. With him in the squad, the team would also get sufficient batting depth.
3) Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings already has Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh as part of the pace attack. The likes of Vaibhav Arora and Sandeep Sharma were used last season as part of this attack. The franchise might need someone more experienced.
Shardul has played for PBKS before and could be a fine investment. Since the team also lacks good all-rounders, Shardul can also come in as the bowling all-rounder to improve the balance.
