Shardul Thakur Raises Concerns Over Player Workload, Open to Leading Mumbai in Upcoming Ranji Season

Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur has voiced concerns over the growing physical demands placed on modern-day cricketers, saying players are often “taken for granted” when it comes to workload management. Speaking after West Zone's exit from the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Bengaluru, Thakur called for more attention to player well-being amid a packed domestic and international calendar.

“A lot of times we are taken for granted and the management is not to the highest level,” Thakur said. “No one actually comes and asks us how our body feels after playing for so many months. But yes, I have been managing my body with physios and strength & conditioning coaches, doing constant work.”

Thakur, 33, has had an intense playing schedule over the past 11 months, featuring in the Irani Trophy, a full 2024–25 domestic season including the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, as well as a late call-up to the IPL with Lucknow Super Giants. He also featured for India A against England Lions and was part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Despite the workload, Thakur emphasized that players are expected to give their all once they step onto the field, and that conversations about rest and recovery should happen outside of match time.

“Once you enter the game, you can’t be talking about workload management because then the game situation takes over,” he said. “You’re expected to give your best — whatever you have in your tank, you have to give it all.”

He added that recovery should be prioritized between games and during net sessions, depending on the load a player experiences in matches.

Open to Leading Mumbai

Having led West Zone for the first time in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, Thakur is now open to taking over the captaincy of the Mumbai Ranji team, a role that became vacant after Ajinkya Rahane stepped down earlier this year.

“Yes, I am open for the [Mumbai] captaincy,” Thakur said. “This was one of the steps where I get that experience of captaincy. It was just my first game and there were a lot of learnings. I wouldn’t say that captaincy is difficult, but there are a lot of things you learn only when you step into the captain’s shoes.”

Although West Zone failed to qualify for the final — with Central Zone advancing on a first-innings lead — Thakur captained a side filled with high-profile names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Call for More Sporting Pitches

Thakur also criticized the nature of pitches in domestic cricket, urging curators to prepare more balanced wickets that offer assistance to fast bowlers. In the Duleep Trophy semi-final, West Zone’s pace attack — including Thakur — bowled just 42 overs collectively, with the spinners handling the bulk of the workload.

“The spinners were in the play all the time. There was not much for fast bowlers,” Thakur said. “It’s always going to be a sort of complaint in domestic cricket that we don’t get enough pitches where fast bowlers can come and bowl 40 overs in a game.

“Being a fast bowler, I expect there should be more pitches where the game is even — for fast bowlers, batters, and spinners.”

With the Ranji Trophy 2025–26 season set to begin on October 15, Thakur’s comments are likely to reignite discussions on workload management and pitch conditions in Indian domestic cricket.