He has been part of the Indian Premier League for over a decade. Besides representing five franchises till the last season, he has featured in two title-winning campaigns. Yet, Shardul Thakur would have felt a few butterflies while marking his run-up on Sunday evening.

For the first time, he was turning out for Mumbai Indians — his home franchise. And Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy captain made it a memorable outing, returning Player-of-the-Match figures of three for 39 in four overs against Kolkata Knight Riders, one of his former teams.

On a flat Wankhede track where batters dominated and bowlers struggled to make an impact, Shardul’s variations in pace proved decisive. Mixing slower balls, knuckle balls and change-ups, he struck in each of his first three overs to pull things back after KKR’s explosive start.

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“Firstly, he has the skills. He reads the game really well and keeps it simple,” said KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has shared the Mumbai and India dressing room with Shardul. Rahane pointed out that the conditions demanded smarter variations rather than outright pace, and credited Shardul’s experience for executing those plans effectively.

Despite his experience, Mumbai Indians did not pursue Shardul aggressively at any of the auctions. Instead, he arrived via a trade from Lucknow Super Giants during the pre-auction window — a move head coach Mahela Jayawardene described as ‘tactical’.

“To use Allah (Ghazanfar), and with Hardik also bowling up front, we couldn’t have too many new-ball bowlers. I needed options for the middle and the back end. That was the thinking when we traded Shardul,” Jayawardene said.

The move paid immediate dividends. Shardul’s clever spell ensured KKR were kept within reach — a target that Mumbai Indians chased down comfortably.

If the opening night was any indication, Shardul’s long-awaited stint with his home franchise could well turn into a happy homecoming.

Published on Mar 30, 2026