“Always make us proud” – Mittali Parulkar on Shardul Thakur’s dominant display against Services in SMAT 2024
Indian cricketer Shardul Thakur's wife, Mittali Parulkar, took to social media to praise her husband for his brilliant performance for Mumbai against Services in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. The match was held on Tuesday, December 3, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Batting first, Mumbai lost Prithvi Shaw for a duck. Ajinkya Rahane (22) and Shreyas Iyer (20) also failed to convert their starts into big innings. However, Suryakumar Yadav (70 off 46) and Shivam Dube (71* off 36) played brilliantly, helping Mumbai finish with 192/4 in their 20 overs.
In response, Services were bowled out for 153, with Shardul delivering a standout performance with the ball for Mumbai. He took four wickets, conceding just 25 runs in his four-over spell. Shams Mulani also claimed three wickets as Mumbai won by 39 runs.
Mittali Parulkar shared her pride on Instagram Stories, praising Shardul for his remarkable performance, writing:
“Always make us proud.”
Earlier in the tournament, Shardul set an unwanted record by delivering the most expensive spell in SMAT history, conceding 69 runs against Kerala. However, the 33-year-old has made a strong comeback, taking seven wickets in the next two games.
Shardul Thakur went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction
Shardul Thakur had a disappointing IPL 2024 season with Chennai Super Kings, taking just five wickets in nine matches with an expensive economy of 9.76. As a result, he was released ahead of the 2025 mega auction. However, the Mumbai cricketer went unsold, with no bidders showing interest. To date, he has featured in 95 IPL matches, claiming 94 wickets.
The 33-year-old has played 11 Tests for India, claiming 31 wickets and scoring 331 runs, including four half-centuries. He has also appeared in 47 ODIs, taking 65 wickets, and has featured in 25 T20Is, where he has taken 33 wickets.